Seen the above on the BBC’s website
Thought it maybe of use
Cheers
I`ve just recieved an email from a company who I do some work for with the RHA E-news bulletin attached
Temporary relaxation of the enforcement of Drivers’ Hours and Working Time Rules in Great Britain
The Department for Transport has agreed to a temporary, and limited, emergency relaxation (not suspension) in Great Britain of the enforcement of EU drivers’ hours and working-time rules for ALL hauliers suffering supply chain problems caused by the recent heavy snowfalls and icy weather.
This temporary relaxation applies immediately and will run until 23:59 on 7 December 2010. The Department will review the relaxation in the light of weather conditions early next week.
This relaxation does not affect other relaxations which have already been granted, to specific transport sectors for longer periods.
For those drivers and work in question, the EU drivers’ hours rules will be temporarily relaxed as follows:-
Replace the EU daily driving limit of 9 hours with one of 10 hours
Reduce the daily rest requirements from 11 to 9 hours.
Lift the weekly (56 hours) and fortnightly driving limit (90 hours).
Postponing the weekly rest requirement until 23:59 on 7 December 2010, at which stage a driver has to take a normal weekly rest of 45 hours.
Notwithstanding the postponement of the weekly rest requirement (see preceding bullet point), a driver must take a minimum rest of 24 hours beginning no later than the end of the eleventh day since the end of his last weekly rest period.
The requirement to take a 45 minute break after 4½ hours driving remains and will continue to be rigorously enforced.
The enforcement of working time rules has also been relaxed for this period to allow drivers to work up to 66 hours instead of the usual 60 hour weekly maximum. This extra time should be recorded, but does not count for the purposes of determining average working time
The practical implementation of the temporary relaxation should be through agreement between employers and employees and/or driver representatives.
The Department also wishes to make clear that driver safety must not be jeopardised. Drivers should not be expected to drive whilst tired - employers remain responsible for the safety of their employees and other road users.
The drivers in question must note on the back of their tachograph charts or printouts the reasons why they are exceeding the normally permitted limits. This is usual practice in emergencies and is, of course, essential for enforcement purposes.
The temporary relaxation of the rules described above reflects the exceptional circumstances of the extreme weather conditions.
The Department wishes to emphasise that, as a general rule it expects business to plan for and manage the risks of disruption to supply chains.
Though its no brainer… as the temporary relaxation notice expires on tuesday 7th
I would tread INCREDIBY carefully here, anyone assuming that snow is some kind of Carte Blanche exemption to drive like a nutter will end up in SERIOUS trouble!!! 
Well I was stuck in Galashiels today, with reversing back and driving forwards trying to get out, I racked up 4hrs 53 mins 
poxy digi tacho’s
now all gaffers will be sayingwell do another 10Strange how safety and law goes out of the window when some places are low on food and fuel.
Surely though,the choice to work extra hours remains at the discretion of the drivers - how does the government know the extent of a drivers tiredness level especially when trying to concentrate even more to keep the wagon on the road
how long after this exemption would it take for vosa to start jumping down a drivers throat, i wouldn’t like to be driving the extra after starting early and concetrating all day at not ditching it.
dowahdiddyman:
now all gaffers will be sayingwell do another 10Strange how safety and law goes out of the window when some places are low on food and fuel.
It’s the ability to do just one extra hours driving over the next 4 days than can legally be done anyway, 40 instead of 39, and the same amount of hours it is possible to do on four consecutive days without this temporary change. That’s not going to make a heck of a lot of difference to road safety.
So, the Government can no longer hide behind the “Its EU Law”. They have just proved they are willing to go against the EU.
Perhaps they may like to reconsider more of the “EU Laws”.
DadsRetired:
So, the Government can no longer hide behind the “Its EU Law”. They have just proved they are willing to go against the EU.
They haven’t, the EU Regulations allow for just this sort of thing so they have simply followed the rules rather than go against them.
Article 14
1. Provided that the objectives set out in Article 1 are not
prejudiced, Member States may, after authorisation by the
Commission, grant exceptions from the application of
Articles 6 to 9 to transport operations carried out in
exceptional circumstances.
2. In urgent cases Member States may grant a temporary
exception for a period not exceeding 30 days, which shall be
notified immediately to the Commission.
3. The Commission shall inform the other Member States of
any exception granted pursuant to this Article.
It’s hypocrisy, plain and simple
VOSA are a government agency, for 361 days of 2010 they will prosecute drivers for going an hour over their time, suspend their LGV entitlement and generally make their lives a misery, all in the name of safety, many drivers who have suffered such penalties would’ve commited their offence on a clear summer day, dry roads, good visibilty etc, yet the game changes when the roads are at their most dangerous
Instead of relaxing hours rules in, what amounts to a PR exercise, the government should get adverts on the telly telling the idiots who strip the supermarket shelves bare after the first snowflake appears on the ground to stay the ■■■■ at home and use the food in their cupboards, nobody needs 18 loaves of bread and a 45gal drum of milk FFS, if they do, well they need to get on a diet anyway 
I agree totally I’m not to clear what the relaxation actually means but I’m pretty sure rather than giving drivers more time to complete their deliveries the planners will plan 10 hour days and the pressure and risks for the driver will increase. Thanks a lot!
Mr B:
I agree totally I’m not to clear what the relaxation actually means…
It means for a driver working Sunday to Wednesday they have 1 extra hour of driving available than they could have without this relaxation of the rules. So, in other words it means nothing but for people who don’t know the driver’s hours rules it looks like the Government is doing something when in reality they couldn’t have made a smaller relaxation if they tried.
Coffeeholic:
Mr B:
I agree totally I’m not to clear what the relaxation actually means…It means for a driver working Sunday to Wednesday they have 1 extra hour of driving available than they could have without this relaxation of the rules. So, in other words it means nothing but for people who don’t know the driver’s hours rules it looks like the Government is doing something when in reality they couldn’t have made a smaller relaxation if they tried.
I’ve seen this comment a few times, actually, it’s seperate from the normal 10hr driving extension, so can make a bigger difference if you’re doing a 6day week, but I still think if I’m tired, I’ll stop and go sleep 
waynedl:
Coffeeholic:
Mr B:
I agree totally I’m not to clear what the relaxation actually means…It means for a driver working Sunday to Wednesday they have 1 extra hour of driving available than they could have without this relaxation of the rules. So, in other words it means nothing but for people who don’t know the driver’s hours rules it looks like the Government is doing something when in reality they couldn’t have made a smaller relaxation if they tried.
I’ve seen this comment a few times, actually, it’s seperate from the normal 10hr driving extension, so can make a bigger difference if you’re doing a 6day week, but I still think if I’m tired, I’ll stop and go sleep
Indeed but over those 4 days it means maybe an extra hour than was legally possible anyway but agreed if you do six days it could mean an extra 2 or 3, still not much and the chances of driving to the maximum of ten hours on each day isn’t likely. More likely just to go over the 9 and do somewhere between 9 and 10 hours rather than right up to the 10 hours, which could mean the difference in the driver making it back to the yard and getting home or having to stay out, that doesn’t seem a bad deal.
It was front page of one of the broadsheets today, didn’t read it as im a red top reader 
Disnae affect me anyway im sticking to the normal rules, you can stick yer extra hour up yer arse 
They’ll be confusion(there always is with some people) mark my words and drivers will come out this with infringements
Coffeeholic:
waynedl:
Coffeeholic:
Mr B:
I agree totally I’m not to clear what the relaxation actually means…It means for a driver working Sunday to Wednesday they have 1 extra hour of driving available than they could have without this relaxation of the rules. So, in other words it means nothing but for people who don’t know the driver’s hours rules it looks like the Government is doing something when in reality they couldn’t have made a smaller relaxation if they tried.
I’ve seen this comment a few times, actually, it’s seperate from the normal 10hr driving extension, so can make a bigger difference if you’re doing a 6day week, but I still think if I’m tired, I’ll stop and go sleep
Indeed but over those 4 days it means maybe an extra hour than was legally possible anyway but agreed if you do six days it could mean an extra 2 or 3, still not much and the chances of driving to the maximum of ten hours on each day isn’t likely. More likely just to go over the 9 and do somewhere between 9 and 10 hours rather than right up to the 10 hours, which could mean the difference in the driver making it back to the yard and getting home or having to stay out, that doesn’t seem a bad deal.
Agreed, use stuff like this to your advantage and all is good, company ask you to do extra because of it and you tell them where to shove it (or take the massive bonus they’re offering)
Coffeeholic:
Mr B:
I agree totally I’m not to clear what the relaxation actually means…It means for a driver working Sunday to Wednesday they have 1 extra hour of driving available than they could have without this relaxation of the rules. So, in other words it means nothing but for people who don’t know the driver’s hours rules it looks like the Government is doing something when in reality they couldn’t have made a smaller relaxation if they tried.
Precisely. It really shows how little the powers that be understand the practicalities of this industry.
newmercman:
It’s hypocrisy, plain and simpleVOSA are a government agency, for 361 days of 2010 they will prosecute drivers for going an hour over their time, suspend their LGV entitlement and generally make their lives a misery, all in the name of safety, many drivers who have suffered such penalties would’ve commited their offence on a clear summer day, dry roads, good visibilty etc, yet the game changes when the roads are at their most dangerous
Instead of relaxing hours rules in, what amounts to a PR exercise, the government should get adverts on the telly telling the idiots who strip the supermarket shelves bare after the first snowflake appears on the ground to stay the [zb] at home and use the food in their cupboards, nobody needs 18 loaves of bread and a 45gal drum of milk FFS, if they do, well they need to get on a diet anyway
Hit the nail right on the head really.