Hi, normally I would not go anywhere near using a full period of 4.5 hours driving without a break, but with the taffic problems last week in the wind, the digi threw up a query to me. With the old style paper chart driving period was shown from when you started off to end including short periods when stationary (ie in traffic hold ups). With the digi card when stationary in the same situation it switches to other work, and does not show you as driving, therefore giving a ‘false’ record. Obviously this is only to my advantage, but just wanted to check that this is legal. ie I left Newcastle to go to Nottingham at say 0900 and arrived at 1500, on a paper chart this would be 6 hours driving, however due to the long hold ups, the digi card was only showing 4.5 hours driving. Is this correct? Advice appreciated. Thanks
topdog1606:
Hi, normally I would not go anywhere near using a full period of 4.5 hours driving without a break, but with the taffic problems last week in the wind, the digi threw up a query to me. With the old style paper chart driving period was shown from when you started off to end including short periods when stationary (ie in traffic hold ups). With the digi card when stationary in the same situation it switches to other work, and does not show you as driving, therefore giving a ‘false’ record. Obviously this is only to my advantage, but just wanted to check that this is legal. ie I left Newcastle to go to Nottingham at say 0900 and arrived at 1500, on a paper chart this would be 6 hours driving, however due to the long hold ups, the digi card was only showing 4.5 hours driving. Is this correct? Advice appreciated. Thanks
It is correct
For driving time under EU regs the driving is only recorded when the vehicle is in motion
Driving under UK domestic regs is matched to UK driving law which states that when the driver is behind the wheel then that time is regarded as driving
On the old analogue cards with a good card reader the driving time and non driving time can be seen so starting a drive at 0600 and looking again at 1030 after spending some time in stop start traffic could be seen with a proper reader as perhaps 4 hours driving time but not with the naked eye
Thanks Rog. For a change it is a bonus.
topdog1606:
Thanks Rog. For a change it is a bonus.
that’s all well and good till some numpty says "well you did it with a 4.5 hr drive before " 
topdog1606:
Hi, normally I would not go anywhere near using a full period of 4.5 hours driving without a break, but with the taffic problems last week in the wind, the digi threw up a query to me. With the old style paper chart driving period was shown from when you started off to end including short periods when stationary (ie in traffic hold ups). With the digi card when stationary in the same situation it switches to other work, and does not show you as driving, therefore giving a ‘false’ record. Obviously this is only to my advantage, but just wanted to check that this is legal. ie I left Newcastle to go to Nottingham at say 0900 and arrived at 1500, on a paper chart this would be 6 hours driving, however due to the long hold ups, the digi card was only showing 4.5 hours driving. Is this correct? Advice appreciated. Thanks
On every chart I’ve seen you can see the difference between driving and being stationary on the activity trace, the only real difference is that you needed a magnifying glass to read a chart properly.
On the image bellow you can clearly see when the vehicle was moving and when it was stationary, but to read the time for each activity accurately you need to use a magnifying glass.
Thanks Tachograph. Thinking about it logically now, nowt has changed really, apart from me being thick, but with the digi card and the systems showing you exactly what you have done time wise, it seems easier now to check what you have done on a drive from a to b. In the past have really counted short standstills in traffic or accidents as continuous driving, whereas now I can get the most out of it if necessary, which is rarely the case.