EU 561/2006 is the regulation that governs driving and rest times for most goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes and most passenger vehicles carrying more than 9 people across the EU and the UK. The full text runs to dozens of pages of legalese — but the rules drivers actually need to remember boil down to a handful of numbers.
This post is a plain-English walk-through. It is not legal advice. For the authoritative position, see the official text on EUR-Lex or your operator's transport manager.
Daily driving
- 9 hours of driving per day, on a normal day.
- Up to 10 hours on no more than two days per week.
- Total driving in a week (Monday 00:00 to Sunday 24:00) cannot exceed 56 hours, and 90 hours over any two consecutive weeks.
Breaks
After 4½ hours of driving you must take a break. The break can be:
- A single 45-minute break, or
- A split into 15 minutes followed by 30 minutes (in that order).
Breaks during driving time count for break purposes. POA (Period of Availability) does not count as a break under EU 561.
Daily rest
- 11 hours of regular daily rest in any 24-hour period.
- Reducible to 9 hours, but no more than three times between any two weekly rests.
- Daily rest can be split: 3 hours followed by 9 hours (must add up to at least 12 hours).
Weekly rest
- 45 hours regular weekly rest, or
- 24 hours reduced — but the reduction must be compensated by an equivalent rest before the end of the third week following the week in question.
Where HGV Time Pilot fits
The Android app gives you a live shift timer with audible heads-up before key thresholds — your 4½ hour break, your daily limit, and your weekly rest. The web dashboard takes your driver-card download and reconstructs your day from authoritative tachograph evidence so you can see warnings and infringements in plain English, plus your WTD reference periods on Pro.
The app is a helper. The cab tachograph and your driver card are still the legal record.
Common pitfalls
- Forgetting the split-break rule order. It must be 15 then 30 — not 30 then 15.
- Treating POA as a break. POA reduces your working time but doesn't reset the 4½-hour driving clock.
- Over-using reduced daily rest. Three reductions per week, no more, and you still owe yourself the regular rest sometime.
- Missing weekly-rest compensation. A reduced weekly rest is a debt — pay it back before the end of week 3 after.
If you want to drive without second-guessing your phone, the simplest approach is to let the live timer prompt you, then verify against the dashboard at the end of the shift.