Under the EU driver regs, how many hours can you work before you are required to take a break and what time period must that break be before you can commence a fresh work[/b] period 
I have an on-going dispute with another driver about this.
Cheers.
The DETR Hours etc handbook has nothing what so ever, about a limit before a break for “Other Work”.
So therefore I would be correct in thinking that I could legally work for 15 hours and drive for a total of 4hrs 29mins within that period without taking a break, yes
Cheers.
That’s the way i read it Rob, if you were, for example, a road worker, you could drive an hour to work, work for 13 hours, and drive an hour back. Then you would have to take 9 hours rest.
yup 
Don’t forget tho’, as soon as you reach 4:30 driving, you must take a break. You can’t work for a bit longer, then take your break.
It is also legal to, for eg, do several hours ‘other work’, drive for 30 mins, take a 30 min break, drive for another 4 hours, take a 15 min break, drive for 4hrs 30.
That gives you 8:30 driving with only a 15 min break.
The law gives no limit to the hours you can work other than duty, weekly & fortnightly limits.
So no requirement to take/be given a break under EU driving regs as they do not give a requirement.
Not the driving regs but the WTD regs require a break from work after 6 hours. Because mobile workers (ie drivers) have had an opt out facility, and the driving regs effective alongside, this hasn’t been widely utilised but come next March, September or whenever the WTD opt out is lost and this does finally come into force then you will be expected to comply with this requirement.
So after 6 hours you will need to break for a minimum of 30 mins but if you haven’t driven for 4 1/2 hours you can continue to drive after the break up to the 4 1/2 hours and then stop for another 15 minutes. 
seven years ago when i started for exel we were told we had to take a half hour break within seven hours. this was supposedly down to eec regulations.
the company i work for now make us take half an hour within the first five hours.
to me these breaks are tea breaks…
i know most companies dont do this but if you were to have a driving accident after 13 or 14 hours at work and you had not taken a break then i can imagine the insurance company / police / victim 
would not take this to likely.
I would have thought that technically you could work all 15 hours of the shift with no break what so ever as long as your not driving over 4 ½ hours.
Madness I know but within the driver hours rules. Imagine working for 10 ½ hours then setting off down the road and driving for 4 ½ hours. Then they say the law is not an ■■■
Ahh, but I thought you had to take a 15 minute break per 6 hours of work as a minimum??
If I work more than 6 hours in my job I’m expected to take a break, and I normally get deducted 30 minutes break per day, so it makes sense to take it…
Ref, WORKTIME
HERE IN GERMANY WE ARE NOT ALLOWED BY LAW TO WORK MORE
THAN TEN HOURS A DAY; THIS IS MADE UP AS FOLLOWS DRIVEING TIME
LOADING ;AND UNLOADING TIME:ALSO WAITING TIME WHERE I CAN NOT
DO WITH MY TIME AS I WISH: i,e. I MUST WAIT IN THE LOADING–
UNLOADING AREA AND CAN NOT TAKE A REST PERIOD:
mobile workers = 6 hrs then a break
Non mobile = 5 hours
UnionJack:
mobile workers = 6 hrs then a breakNon mobile = 5 hours
And what is the length of the break. Some are saying 15 mins, others are saying 30 mins .
Additionally, as we’re not currently covered by the WTD does that mean that there is no legal obligation to take this break at all
When the WTD does come in next year, if you opt out then does the same ‘no legal obligation to take the break’ still apply
Cheers.
its dead simple where i work ,union says 4 hours work ,30 minute break.no arguments written in stone.its good to be a union man.
Robs original question was how long could you work under EU driving regulations and what would be the length of the break needed at that point. So regardless of the WTD, union agreements, company rules, or anything else the answer is, as has already been said 15 hours and then the break would need to be 9 hours. This would be subject to you driving no more than 4 hours 29 minutes in that time, unless the last driving period coincided with the end of the 15 hours when you could do the full 4 hours 30 minutes driving.
Coffeeholic:
Robs original question was how long could you work under EU driving regulations and what would be the length of the break needed at that point. So regardless of the WTD, union agreements, company rules, or anything else the answer is, as has already been said 15 hours and then the break would need to be 9 hours. This would be subject to you driving no more than 4 hours 29 minutes in that time, unless the last driving period coincided with the end of the 15 hours when you could do the full 4 hours 30 minutes driving.
Thanks for the clarification Neil, just what I was looking for.
Cheers.