Why with digital tachos is overspeed seen as an issue?
At first glance, this may sound like a very stupid question, however in the UK the speed limit on motorways for trucks is still 60mph or 96.5kmh. So when travelling downhill letting the truck run up to the national speed limit should not be a problem.
Clearly in the rest of Europe there would be a problem as the speed limit for trucks is invariably 90kmh or less.
Agreed. Why we are set to 90kmh instead of 60mph is a total farce. We are governed by the UK government in all aspects of law, but for some reason this one law is governed by the EU, despite everything in the UK highway code, every sign on the UK’s roads and every vehicle having MPH on the clock. If anyone is pulled for ‘overspeed’ there wouldn’t be an argument that could be withheld. It’s 60mph in this country. NOT 56mph or even 90kmh.
The answer I am seeking is not so much why trucks are limited to 90kmh, but why with digital tachos has so called “overspeed” become such an issue in the UK.
With analogue paper discs (in the UK) there doesnt seem to be a problem.
Probably because they are all made in Europe and not in the UK. I don’t know of any UK companies that make tacho heads.
I went on a digitach course yesterday,and asked this question.
Apparently,its something to do with “the construction and use of commercial vehicles regulations” or words to that effect 
These apparently limit HGV’S to 56,which is why you get your knuckles rapped if you exceed this 56.These regs override the 60mph limit stated in the Highway Code.
The majority of EU countries had a speed limit of 90kph for trucks prior to the introduction of tachographs. that is why it was decided to set limiters to 56mph/90kph. it does not overide the speed limit of 60mph. also the law in the uk states that tachographs may not be used as primary evidence for speeding offences. however some EU countries do use them as primary evidence.
Therefore i can’t see any reason why there should be any sort of issue with alledged overspeeds.
digi tachos, are a joke full stop. out of date, and incorrect, before they even went in.
the amount of time we lose, when stuck, shunting about in docks, and yards, as well as heavy traffic.
and also, the fact, the digi tacho, still works on the old break system, not the new, 15 minute 1st, and 30 minute, 2nd break, system, sometimes, resetting itself, even though technically, you may not have had the correct break.
ban the poxy thing, and simplify the rules.
6 days a week, if you choose, 12 hours a day/night, maximum shift, with 12 hours off. balls too 15 hour days, with 9 off. no more than 4 hours driving in 1 stint, and a max of 10 hours driving per day.
yes i am an otimist, who has his dreams shattered by slimy, no nothing, money grabbing, self centred, brain dead, fat, over-payed, useless euro mp’s, who have no idea how our job works. (prob too busy watching ■■■■, in their sisters budgies 2nd home, whilst filling in their expenses form.)
These apparently limit HGV’S to 56,which is why you get your knuckles rapped if you exceed this 56.These regs override the 60mph limit stated in the Highway Code
not according to the answer I got to this question sent by e.mail to both Vosa and DVLA.
the answer I got was that the speed limit on UK motorways for a vehicle over 7.5 tons is 60 mph.
Got to agree that I am annoyed when I get an “advisory” for overspeeds when analysed.
found the e-mail reply I got.
In answer to your e’mail of 9th February 2009. The speed limit for HGV vehicles over 7500kg’s is 60mph on UK motorways. Regards Kevin Gist
Baggie:
I went on a digitach course yesterday,and asked this question.
Apparently,its something to do with “the construction and use of commercial vehicles regulations” or words to that effect
These apparently limit HGV’S to 56,which is why you get your knuckles rapped if you exceed this 56.These regs override the 60mph limit stated in the Highway Code.
I really hope you didn’t pay for that course and I would double check everything the instructor told you as they do not appear to have much of a clue.
The speed limits in this country are not set, governed or regulated by the Construction and Use Regulations, you cannot be prosecuted for exceeding the speed limit under C&U regulation, that would be the job of The Road Traffic Act 1988.
The C&U Regulations deal with speed limiters and the legislation for those state the speed limiter must prevent the vehicle being POWERED beyond the set limit. There is nothing in legislation which prevents the vehicle’s momentum taking it over the set speed limit and provided that is on a motorway with a national speed limit in place and you do not exceed 60 mph no offence has been committed. Speed related prosecutions under C&U would be for a defective speed limiter or for tampering with it, not for speeding.
Hombre:
The answer I am seeking is not so much why trucks are limited to 90kmh, but why with digital tachos has so called “overspeed” become such an issue in the UK.
It’s only an issue for those who invent regulations such as speeding under Construction & Use Regulations. The “Overspeed” warning up to 60 mph is meaningless in the UK, it’s not an offence on motorways with a national speed limit, and it is not even an infringement, only an advisory. Driver’s should certainley not be signing for these ‘infringements’.
I stand corrected 
just repeating what I was told 
I didn’t have to pay for the course BTW,it was an optional attendance,organised by the agency who have just fixed me up with a temp to perm job 
I only attended because I didn’t know how to make manual entries.Apparently,my new employer insists on manual entries every day to cover daily rest 
Baggie:
I went on a digitach course yesterday,and asked this question.
Apparently,its something to do with “the construction and use of commercial vehicles regulations” or words to that effect
These apparently limit HGV’S to 56,which is why you get your knuckles rapped if you exceed this 56.These regs override the 60mph limit stated in the Highway Code.
I got told the exact same thing “the construction and use of commercial vehicles regulations” from our driver trainers, im sure whooshwhoosh on here also got told the same thing as we all get a sit down with same driver trainers.i don’t know if we get into trouble for overspeeds between 56mph-60mph as we still use analogue at our site but knowing my lot you probably will
I myself dont worry about overspeeding and set the retarder to 60mph and i couldnt care less how many overspeeds i do in a day on the digi tach.
Some companies dont allow overrun for some reason since the intro of digitachs.
Vosa will not do you for over running as long as it aint a continuous 60mph e.g. speed limiter inop. But they can see the speed limiter working otherwise so you will not have no problem.
Like i said its more the companies enforcing this rule rather than Vosa.
The simple fact of the matter is that the person who owns the truck and puts yer dinner on the table may not like it 
If the company is trying to meet ISO standards and whathaveyou, they may well want to be goody two shoes right across the board and that includes your driving. I very rarely get those overspeed warnings, so you can imagine my surprise when the gaffer reckoned I had 9,5,6 etc. speeds 
It was right there on his screen.
Everytime you go over the limited speed the clock is ticking. You go over 20 secs. Nowhere near any chance of an overspeed warning but ■■■■■■■■■■■■■ do another 10+20+10=60 and there’s ONE speed and it adds it all up during your working day. You haven’t had a warning but it’s all there.
You get a tug. They can instantly see what your driving has been like and these things can all go for/against you. Straining on the limiter, rolling down the hills, looking for every bit of extra mph you can might tell them something about your job/driving over the guy who knocks it back before a hill etc. in a ‘might be worth investigating a bit further’ kind of way 
Yeah, you haven’t committed an offence but you’ll certainly have already given the powers that be a nice debrief
The above two paragraphs are words that I’ve had to sit and listen to myself. It’ll be quicker to walk it before long 
Saxon786:
You get a tug. They can instantly see what your driving has been like and these things can all go for/against you. Straining on the limiter, rolling down the hills, looking for every bit of extra mph you can might tell them something about your job/driving over the guy who knocks it back before a hill etc. in a ‘might be worth investigating a bit further’ kind of wayThe above two paragraphs are words that I’ve had to sit and listen to myself. It’ll be quicker to walk it before long
How can that be?? a digi Tacho only stores a speed trace for the previous 24hrs,how is it possible to “strain” on the limiter also?? your either on it, or your not which most trucks are when the conditions allow. and surely if you haven’t technically done anything wrong can it be a cause for investigation??..the powers that be surely cant tell how a driver drives his truck from looking at a digi tacho…or can they??
my daf cf does 52 mph flat out,according to my sat nav,and reads 90kms on the dash.it doesnt take much for it to register an overspeed,on a descent on the exhauster doing a constant 56 mph(sat nav),60 mph dashboard has my overspeed warning doing overtime.funny thing is,i recently used on of our ivecos whilst my truck was on mot,the dashbord read 90 kms,as my daf does,but was actually doing 58mph.with similiar loads on the same roads,the overspeed warning went off about 3 times in the week,as compared to 3 times a day in my daf.talk about double standards. 
Glad Im still on Analogue
whats the difference between digi overspeed and analogue trace going over 90
i would say nothing
if i were to receive infringment sheet claiming over speed
i would endorse with words “not exceeding speed limit for road”
my advice dont let truck run over 100
but
yes i know its fun flying down passed J6 on the M40
and not touching the accelerator til nearly J7
merc0447:
Baggie:
I went on a digitach course yesterday,and asked this question.
Apparently,its something to do with “the construction and use of commercial vehicles regulations” or words to that effect
These apparently limit HGV’S to 56,which is why you get your knuckles rapped if you exceed this 56.These regs override the 60mph limit stated in the Highway Code.I got told the exact same thing “the construction and use of commercial vehicles regulations” from our driver trainers, im sure whooshwhoosh on here also got told the same thing as we all get a sit down with same driver trainers.i don’t know if we get into trouble for overspeeds between 56mph-60mph as we still use analogue at our site but knowing my lot you probably will
Ditto what we’ve been told by our driver trainers, and we get infringements on the analogues for exceeding 56mph.
tofer:
Ditto what we’ve been told by our driver trainers…
Seems to be an awful lot of driver trainers who could benefit from a spot of training. Might improve things all round if they did that instead of repeating the same old nonsense without checking. They did, and some are still doing, the same thing with the ‘must have 30 minutes break at 6 hours’ WTD thing. How the hell do they get the job when they seem so clueless?