The Regulation on the new digital smart tachograph specifications was published on 27 May 2016. The digital tachograph was first introduced in 2006 as a device to record drivers’ hours, breaks, rest and periods of other work. The aim was to promote road safety for everyone and ensure fair competition between operators. The new REGULATION (EU) 2016/799 gives the requirements for the construction, testing, installation, operation and repair the new smart tachographs and their components. It defines the remote early detection facility to transmit weight data provided by an internal on-board weighing system and determines the provisions necessary for:

• recording of the position of the vehicle during the working period of the driver
• remote detection of possible manipulation and misuse of smart tachographs
• interfacing with intelligent transport systems
• the administrative and technical requirements for the type-approval procedures of tachographs, including the security mechanisms

The new regulation will pave the way for the introduction of smart tachographs across the EU and combined with the DVSA's recent announcement regarding Earned Recognition will make the detection of non-compliant operators easier. Source - CITA