Legal knowledge
Page 28
Page 29
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
ith regard to the dri vers' hours pocket card you gave away last week (CM 6-12Feb). Bearing in mind the mentality of a considerable number of IXN drivers who cannot understand the simplest explanation of drivers law, I find it appalling that you would confuse them even more by publishing EC rules simplistically (no objection to that) but then publishing British rules with no explanation of the exceptional circumstances in which these would apply.
We have to consider that for many drivers, especially those starting off, the closest they get to driving hours laws while learning is how to fill in a tacho—the rest is left up to drivers to find out.
Although the drivers' hours law can be obtained from the place the licence was obtained and other sources, a lot of them do not know this.
Unfortunately many learn from hearsay, employers who are not always honest, or through articles published in magazines. These are open to misinterpretation, especially when those that are trying to comprehend the meaning of the laws have not got a basic knowledge.
Some drivers, I feel, would interpret your sheet so that if they are doing general haulage in the UK only they would work by British rules and not EC rules.
Mr Plod does his spot check and you can imagine the consequences.
It is also the people in the transport office who do not know the law. Many will come out with those annoying comments like: "A break? You haven't got time for a break." It is a sad fact that there are many companies run by people who have got their CPC but do not know the drivers' hours laws.
The drivers' hours laws are hard enough to understand for a lot of people at the best of times. I feel you ought to let it be known that the British rules you published are solely for those exempt from the EC rules, ie military, recovery services and so on.The EC rules are a basic explanation for general haulage and apply to the majority of haulage companies. Anyone unsure should seek help—preferably at the job centre seeking alternative employment.
Wendy Holmes, Ashlon-in-Moher,field, nr Wigan.