This month Belgium introduced remote tachograph checks. This form of tachograph inspection is already present in 5 European countries – Denmark, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. During the first day of the test trial the local police checked 128 trucks and buses out of which 25 violations were detected.

Out of these 25 violations, 20 were related to not abiding the limit of hours spent driving and the other 5 were related to not abiding the rules of the EU Mobility Package (e.g.: foreign drivers not returning home as instructed). The new tachograph inspection system turned out to be very effective and allowed to detect numerous violations on the E40 road.

As mentioned before, this tachograph check system is not new – it’s already been introduced in other European states. The Netherlands and Poland have been testing the system since 2021. The technology of the newest tachograph models allows to easily and quickly communicate information to reading devices. This means that police are able to check transport vehicles without having to stop them. By using a computer or a smartphone, police officers receive all the necessary information about the tachograph and, in the case of violations, get a notification on their device. After receiving such an alert, police can stop the transportation vehicle for a more thorough inspection and issue a fine if needed.

Keywords: work for drivers, work for long-haul drivers, tachographs, driving rules, Mobility Package