Can anyone tell me where to find information about driving a vehicle with a broken tacho head.
What it is, is when I got to work yesterday lunch time I was told my unit was off the road for repairs and service so I was in another but this other had a broken tacho head (mercedes so you post the disc in slot). The ■■■■ machine would initially take my disc in but the milage kept flashingfor about 2 mins then spit out the card again this happened 3 or 4 times. Was told to record infomation on back of disc for my shift, I said okay will do that while working on docks ( all classed as private land on these particulate docks) but I refused to go out on the public highway, was told it is perfectly legal as the company has 14 days grace in which to get it fixed. My argument was maybe but after it had initially returned to depot it was,nt to be taken out on the road to be worked, told again about 14 day and don’t be petty still refused. About 5pm told to go out on road so I refused. Now during the afternoon I phoned Devon & Cornwall traffic HQ they said not to take vehicle on road unless it was to get it to be repaired which is what I told my manager. When I told him I spoken to the police his words where " oh you phoned the police and spoke to them" yes I said. Ten minutes later he phoned me and told me to vehicle to the company we use for repairs and maintenance and they put a new head in straight away.
Now what I need is to find out where I can get the information to download and print out to slap on his desk Monday morn to back up what I told him. Any help would be greatly appreciated 
5 days if away from base,and unable to book it in for new head etc en route, if at base think it must be booked in for new head. and basically not used only for the new head to be fitted at the tacho/truck dealer
Hi cassius,
Found a vosa publication here :-
GV 262 (Second edition 12/2006)
The relevant parts of section 28 state
28 WHAT SHOULD I DO ABOUT FAULTY TACHOGRAPHS OR BROKEN
SEALS?
"If the tachograph becomes defective, seals are broken or there is any doubt about
the recording equipment’s ability to make accurate recordings, the tachograph
should be inspected, calibrated and, where necessary, repaired by an Approved
Tachograph Centre as soon as possible. If the vehicle cannot return to its base
within a week of failure of the tachograph, or of the discovery of its defective
operation, the repair must be carried out en route.
With respect of recording driver activities when the recording equipment is
unserviceable or malfunctioning, drivers may continue to use the vehicle, but must
ensure that they make a temporary record which contains data enabling the driver
to be identified (driver’s card number and/or name and/or driving licence number)
including the driver’s signature, all information for the various periods of time which
can no longer be recorded or printed out correctly by the recording equipment
UK legislation also provides that a person will not be liable to be convicted if they
can prove to the Court that the vehicle was on its way to a place where the
recording equipment could be repaired or that it was not immediately practicable for
the equipment to be repaired and the driver was keeping a manual record or, where
a seal is broken, the breaking of the seal was unavoidable and could not be
immediately repaired and all other aspects of the EC rules were being complied with."
link shortened…Denis F
So in other words, it must be done straight away.
cassius:
Now what I need is to find out where I can get the information to download and print out to slap on his desk Monday morn to back up what I told him. Any help would be greatly appreciated
Tell him to ask the CPC Holder whose name is on the Operators Licence. If it’s him, tell him he should know better.
Thank you all for your help. Fortunetly the expected fallout didn’t happen although I did get some evil looks, I think it was probably because I rang my local traffic police and told them I had done so on Friday. They couldn’t really argue with me after that. Thanks again