Getting into the charts
Page 35
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Drivers tackling the tachograph competition which was one of the -sideshowsat the LDoY Finals on Sunday provided some significant surprises, and the enthusiasm which they expressed made trade union opposition — or, at best, lukewarm interest — pretty suspect.
The biggest surprise, especially for the tacho experts running the competition, was the facility with which the drivers who took part — covering a fairly random spread of vehicle sizes and traffic types — interpreted the test charts. Where has this expertise come from or are tacho discs child's play for men accustomed to the complexitieq of log sheets? A member of CM's staff who is familiar witti tachographs attempted the competition and after 10 minutes of concentration still had one of the six questions unanswered.
Whatever the reason for the drivers' expertise in chartreading, it augurs well for the time when these devices become a legal requirement and, if things go as forecast, replace the logbook. For a start, the disc can tell so much more useful information than a written sheet. At last weekend's tacho experiment, drivers were in a matter of minutes reeling off the answers to such questions as -What was the distance travelled in the day? How long has the driver been in charge of the vehicle? What was the longest delivery time? Where is the economical driving?"
The final question may have a sinister ring to those who regard the tachograph as an intrusion: -What happened at 12.30 pm?" But the recording of happenings at precise times can be a great protection for both driver and operator — witness a recent case in which tachograph evidence of very low vehicle speed was a key factor in a coroner's jury returning a verdict of accidental death upon a man and woman killed by an artic which rolled over at a roundabout.