Here are the drivers’ hours rules which apply to any goods driver operating a vehicle of over 3.5 tonnes in the UK. You may know them as the EU Drivers’ Hours rules. Since Brexit they are officially called the assimilated rules, which simply means the same rules now sit in UK law.
The limits themselves have NOT changed. What has changed is the name, who the rules apply to and how many days of records you must carry. The rules are enforced by the DVSA, which replaced VOSA back in 2014.
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*This page was reviewed and updated in October 2026 and includes the changes that came in on 1 July 2026.
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Before We Get Into The Rules
There are three things to understand.
1) A fixed week is calculated as Monday 00:00 – Sunday 24:00. Your working week may differ but some rules are still calculated using a fixed week.
2) Break and Rest are NOT the same. Break is taken during the shift, whilst Rest is taken between shifts.
3) The exact rules vary according to the type of vehicle and where you are driving. Since 1 July 2026 this includes some vans of over 2.5 tonnes. See which rules apply to you.
What Is The 4.5 Hour Rule?
You cannot drive for longer than 4.5 hours without taking a break of at least 45 minutes. Taking this break causes a fresh 4.5 hour period of drive to begin.
*See the rules on breaks to ensure you do not break the 4.5 hour rule.
How Do Breaks Work?
You may take the 45 minute break in 2 sections. The first section must be at least 15 minutes and the second section at least 30 minutes. You cannot have these breaks the other way around. If you take anything less than 45 minutes then you must take a second break of at least 30 minutes.
You must have at least 15 minutes of continuous break in order for it to count as a break. Anything less will not count as a qualifying break and will be recorded as other work.
| Driving 1.5 Hours |
Break 15 Minutes |
Driving 1.5 Hours |
Break 30 Minutes |
Driving 4.5 Hours |
Break 45 Minutes |
*Note, any break taken before drive begins will not be taken into account. I.e. You must begin driving before you qualify for having had a 15 minute break.
*You may still be told that the break can be taken as 3 lots of 15 minutes. That rule went in 2006. Following the old rules today may result in serious fines.
The Daily Drive Rule
You may drive up to 9 hours in a day. You can increase this 9 hours to 10 hours up to twice in a fixed week.
Any instance of driving more than 9 hours in one day will count as one of your increased driving periods, even if you are only 1 minute over the 9 hours.
The Weekly Drive Rule
You can drive up to 56 hours in a fixed week. A fixed week is defined as Monday 00:00 – Sunday 24:00.
The Fortnightly Drive Rule
You can drive no more than 90 hours within 2 consecutive weeks. This is any 2 weeks together, and the rolling total must not exceed 90 hours.
| Week 1 42 Hours |
Week 2 48 Hours |
Week 3 42 Hours |
Week 1 + Week 2 = 90 hours. Week 2 + Week 3 = 90 hours.
*I.e. After completing 2 weeks of work you do NOT begin a fresh 2 week period. You must include the last week in the current week’s calculation for your fortnightly totals.
How Is Daily Rest Calculated?
The standard daily rest requirement is 11 hours within a 24 hour period. This means the rest must begin no later than 13 hours after the duty has begun.
E.g. If you began at 6:00 am you must finish by 19:00 in order to have 11 hours daily rest. Even if you actually take off more than 11 hours, you cannot physically record 11 hours if you work more than 13 hours.
| 24 Hour Period |
| Driving + Other Work + Breaks = 13 Hours |
Regular Daily Rest 11 Hours |
You can reduce your daily rest to no less than 9 hours within a 24 hour period up to 3 times between 2 weekly rest periods. This means your duty cannot exceed 15 hours in total. There is no compensation required for this reduction.
| 24 Hour Period |
| Driving + Other Work + Breaks = 15 Hours |
Reduced Daily Rest 9 Hours |
*When reducing your rest period don’t forget to keep track of your weekly and fortnightly driving hours.
Splitting Your Daily Rest
During your duty you may take a long period of continuous break (at least 3 hours) which may be counted towards your daily rest for that day. If you do this, you must still take the minimum of 9 hours rest within the 24 hour period. That gives you at least 12 hours of rest in total.
| 24 Hour Period |
| 8 Hours Driving + Other Work + Breaks |
3 Hours Rest |
4 Hours Driving + Other Work + Breaks |
9 Hours Rest |
*When daily rest is taken in this way, it does not count as a reduced rest. Instead it qualifies as a standard daily rest.
*This can be useful for drivers who know there will be a significant part of their duty where they will be waiting or cannot continue working for several hours.
*In order to take rest periods in a vehicle the cab must be fitted with suitable sleeping facilities, and the vehicle must be stationary.
Working Out Your Weekly Rest
The standard weekly rest requirement is 45 hours, to be taken after no more than 6 consecutive 24 hour periods. This can be reduced to a minimum of 24 hours rest, however you must compensate for this reduction by the end of the 3rd week following. The compensation must be taken in one block, added to a daily or weekly rest period. See the example below:
| Weekly Rest | Week 1 33 Hours |
Week 2 45 Hours |
Week 3 45 Hours |
Week 4 45 Hours + 12 Hours Compensation |
Week 1 has been reduced by 12 hours, therefore week 2 must be at least 45 hours. In any 2 consecutive weeks at least one of your weekly rests must be a full 45 hours.
Week 4 is the 3rd week following the reduction from week 1, and therefore the compensation must be made in full by adding the 12 hours to the full 45 hours rest.
NOTE: The reduction in week 1 could have been compensated for earlier, by adding the 12 hours in one block to the full rest taken in week 2 or 3, or to a full daily rest.
Where you take your weekly rest matters. A standard weekly rest of 45 hours or more MUST NOT be taken in the vehicle. This includes any longer rest which contains compensation for an earlier reduction. If you are away from base, alternative accommodation should be arranged and the cost must be met by your employer. Reduced weekly rest periods can be taken in vehicles with suitable sleeping facilities.
International drivers – When carrying goods internationally the rules are slightly different. It is possible to reduce your weekly rest 2 weeks in a row, however care must be taken to get this right:
- You must take both reduced rests outside the UK and outside your country of residence.
- In any 4 consecutive fixed weeks you must take at least 4 weekly rests, and at least 2 of them must be 45 hours or more.
- The compensation for both reductions must be taken together, added to the start of your next weekly rest. That rest MUST be a full 45 hour rest.
- You must be able to return to base or home at least once every 4 weeks to take a full weekly rest.
Warning – If you only drive within the UK this does not apply to you. For more information contact one of our consultants.
More On The Drivers’ Hours Rules
- Which Rules Apply To You? – the 3.5 tonne and 2.5 tonne thresholds, who is exempt and the GB domestic rules.
- Double Manning, Ferries & Night Work – plus out of scope driving.
- Tachographs & Records – the four types of tachograph, driver cards and how many days of records to carry.
- Working Time Rules – the 48 hour average, the 60 hour week and the 6 hour rule.
Drivers’ Hours FAQs
Q: Can I switch my breaks around?
A: No. A 45 minute break can be split into two, with the first break lasting a minimum of 15 minutes and the second a minimum of 30 minutes. You cannot take these breaks the other way around.
Q: Can I work two weekends in a row?
A: Because working on a weekend generally means taking a reduced weekly rest, it is usually only possible to work one weekend in a fortnight while remaining within the law. However, it is possible to work on consecutive weekends if you manage to finish early enough on the Saturday and start late enough on the Monday to get the requisite 45 hours rest.
Q: I drove 48 hours this week, and only 38 hours the week before. How many hours can I drive next week?
A: The simple answer is 42 hours. Your total driving time for a fortnight cannot exceed 90 hours. After completing two weeks of driving, you do not begin a fresh two weeks. The 38 hours of two weeks ago have no bearing on the new week.
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If at any point you have questions regarding the drivers’ hours rules, please feel free to contact the office by calling 0191 491 5032.