Weekly reduced rest cycles

I’ve read that you can have 2 reduced weekly (weekend) rests in consecutive weeks but I’ve also read that you can only have 1 reduced weekly rest if followed or preceded by a regular weekly rest period.
Having a recent conversation with a driver he reckons he used to drive 2 weeks which included a Saturday shift (6 shifts) with reduced weekly rest periods and then on the 3rd weekend he would have a regular weekly rest period (5 shifts). He would repeat this 2x reduced and 1x regular weekly rest for months on end… Is this right?

Which of these consecutive weekly rest cycles are correct?

  1. Regular weekly rest. Reduced weekly rest. Reduced weekly rest. Regular weekly rest. Reduced weekly rest. Reduced weekly rest. Regular weekly rest…(Working 2 on 1 off)

  2. Regular weekly rest. Regular weekly rest. Reduced weekly rest. Reduced weekly rest. Regular weekly rest Regular weekly rest. Reduced weekly rest…(Working 2 on 2 off 2 on)

  3. Regular weekly rest. Reduced weekly rest. Regular weekly rest. Reduced weekly rest. Regular weekly rest…

J-BONE:
I’ve read that you can have 2 reduced weekly (weekend) rests in consecutive weeks but I’ve also read that you can only have 1 reduced weekly rest if followed or preceded by a regular weekly rest period.
Having a recent conversation with a driver he reckons he used to drive 2 weeks which included a Saturday shift (6 shifts) with reduced weekly rest periods and then on the 3rd weekend he would have a regular weekly rest period (5 shifts). He would repeat this 2x reduced and 1x regular weekly rest for months on end… Is this right?

Which of these consecutive weekly rest cycles are correct?

  1. Regular weekly rest. Reduced weekly rest. Reduced weekly rest. Regular weekly rest. Reduced weekly rest. Reduced weekly rest. Regular weekly rest…(Working 2 on 1 off)

  2. Regular weekly rest. Regular weekly rest. Reduced weekly rest. Reduced weekly rest. Regular weekly rest Regular weekly rest. Reduced weekly rest…(Working 2 on 2 off 2 on)

  3. Regular weekly rest. Reduced weekly rest. Regular weekly rest. Reduced weekly rest. Regular weekly rest…

The only one of those that can be guaranteed to be legal is 3.

The regulations say that you must have a regular weekly rest period count for at-least every second week, look at the part I’ve coloured red and see if you can count either of the regular weekly rest periods for those weeks, bear in mind that a weekly rest period that crosses 2 weeks can count for either but not both of the weeks.

The other 2 scenarios would depend on the length of the weekly rest period.

If you want to know when and how you can have only reduced weekly rest periods in 2 consecutive weeks this thread may help

One of the most common ‘two reduced weekly rests in row’ is where the driver always has sunday midnight off as part of the weekly rests and has had a few days or a week off such as …

Week off where the last 45 hours counts a regular weekly rest for the week starting below
Work mon to sat
Off sun = reduced weekly rest for week starting below
work mon to sat
off sun = reduced weekly rest for no week but can be used as payback for reduced above
work mon to fri
off sat + sun = regular weekly rest for week above

weekly rests now continue at the end of each week

Thanks Tachograph that was a great link to read through I’m still not sure but I’m sticking to the week about cycle