Digital tachographs are devices that automatically record activity such as time, speed, and distance of your driver’s journey. The device is fitted to your vehicles and tracks its progress as soon as it’s in motion. Digital tachographs record a range of vehicle and driver data, which is crucial for staying compliant with drivers’ hours rules.
Digital tachographs automate compliance for fleet managers. Companies that fail to comply with drivers’ hours rules risk fines or in extreme cases, jail. Furthermore, under certain circumstances such as repeated offenses, licenses to operate may be revoked.
When did digital tachographs start?
When did digital tachographs start?
Tachograph devices are not new, and the first analog devices have been in use since the 1950s. Now all qualifying vehicles manufactured in the EU since 2005 must have a digital tachograph.
However, since June 2019, tachograph regulation requires that every new vehicle must have a smart tachograph. Smart tachographs have enhanced features such as improved security, efficiency, and open interface for additional services. Furthermore, they help you simplify the inspection process with a dedicated short-range communication system.
How do digital tachographs work?
How do digital tachographs work?
Digital tachographs protect drivers’ safety and other road users by ensuring all drivers are in a suitable condition to operate vehicles. It also promotes healthy competition as managers cannot force drivers to work excessive hours.
Digital tachographs record all vehicle and driver data on both the internal memory as well as the driver’s ID card. It consists of three different parts to document this data: a tachograph card, motion sensors, and a vehicle unit.
Digital tachographs collect various types of data including but not limited to the vehicle registration number, driver activity such as breaks and availability, and events such as speeding, driving without a driver card, and tampering. Data from digital tachographs must be downloaded and analyzed regularly. For each driver, download tachograph data at least every 28 days and every 90 days for each vehicle.
Digital tachograph software
Digital tachograph software helps fleet managers reduce administrative work with automatic downloads. Manually downloading tachograph data can be time-consuming and take away from core business. Our solution, WEBFLEET Tachograph Manager, is a reliable all-in-one solution that simplifies digital tachograph downloads.
Tachograph Manager helps you download, analyze, and archive your tachograph data. By automatically downloading data, you can maximize productivity and stay ahead of deadlines. Furthermore, you have access and clear visibility of driver and vehicle data, enabling you to comply with drivers’ hours regulations. And our solution keeps all your data, at all points, secure in one location.
Interested in how the Tachograph Manager can help you? More information about our digital tachograph solution
