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A tachograph is a device used in commercial transport vehicles to record and monitor driver and vehicle activity. It is an important tool for monitoring the driving and resting times of professional drivers, and above all for improving road safety.<\/p>\n
The digital tachograph looks similar to the previous analogue tachograph. The new system consists of a vehicle unit, a speed\/distance sensor and tachograph cards. These cards are smart cards (containing a chip) instead of discs, as the analogue tachographs had. They are installed inside the driver\u2019s cab.<\/p>\n
The tachograph records information on speed, distance travelled, driving time and breaks taken by the driver. It can also record other data, such as waiting time and non-driving work periods.<\/p>\n
There are different types of tachographs, but the most common is the digital tachograph, which, with its built-in smart card, can identify the driver and store the above-mentioned driving data.<\/p>\n
Nowadays it has become an essential device in this sector.<\/p>\n
Which vehicles are obliged to have a digital tachograph?<\/p>\n
Since 2006, all vehicles with these characteristics are obliged to install the new digital tachograph and they are:<\/p>\n
Goods vehicles, when the maximum mass of the vehicles exceeds 3.5 tonnes.
Passenger vehicles carrying more than nine persons, including the driver.<\/p>\n
However, vehicles registered before August 2005 that have an analogue tachograph may continue to use it without having to change it for a digital one.<\/p>\n
What different cards can be inserted in the tachograph?<\/p>\n
There are four types of digital tachograph cards:<\/p>\n
The Driver Card : This is the card that vehicle drivers have to use and carry with them.
The Company Card: This is used by companies whose fleet of vehicles has a digital tachograph installed.
The Control Card: This card is used by security forces and inspectors to download and check information from the digital tachograph and\/or the driver card.
The Test Centre Card: This is used exclusively to calibrate the digital tachograph.<\/p>\n
What are the most common offences?<\/p>\n
The most prominent is the manipulation of the tachograph. This is usually done with magnets, with which they alter the recorded data, and they also use false driver cards, which they use to manipulate the actual driving time. You have to be very careful with this as it can lead to serious penalties and can even lead to the withdrawal of your driving licence.
Misuse of the tachograph, unless you are engaged in activities that do not require it, it is compulsory to use it at all times. This can lead to legal and administrative sanctions.
Failure to calibrate the tachograph from time to time can have consequences such as recording incorrect driving times, putting road safety at risk, and it is important that it is correctly calibrated to avoid this.<\/p>\n
The revolutionary second generation intelligent tachograph:<\/p>\n
It will be mandatory on all newly registered commercial vehicles from 21 August 2023 and for trucks transporting internationally it will be implemented from 2024.<\/p>\n
It comes with important advances in technology and safety, with the aim of putting an end to the repeat offence rate.<\/p>\n
Another of the various new features is that it incorporates a GNSS interface position register, which will determine the geographical coordinates of the vehicle at the start and end of the working day and will also do so every three hours of driving.<\/p>\n