EU laws regarding tachographs and drivers’ hours are ineffective if there is inadequate enforcement of them. In the UK the DVSA and Police are responsible for enforcement of the regulations that apply to all commercial road transport operators. And the penalties for non-compliance can be tough. There is clear evidence that other countries in the EU are now stepping up their enforcement of drivers’ hours law and tachograph requirements. In a seven day operation in the Valencia Region in Spain a total of 1,336 lorry and van drivers were fined for various offences. Of the 2,635 HGVs that were checked 642 were fined, that’s almost 25%! The majority, 266, were fined for tachograph inconsistencies or exceeding their permitted drivers’ hours.  Other fines were issued for irregularities relating to vehicles' or drivers' papers, as well as speeding, overloading cargo and badly-stacked freight. The Guardia Civil traffic officers also fined 694 van drivers for offences such as speeding, driving without a seatbelt and for the vehicle not passing its ITV test. If you operate vehicles across the EU you can manage your compliance with drivers’ hours for just 25p per driver per day with Smartanalysis. Find out more. Published in Costa Blanca South