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Digital tachographs have been introduced based on Regulations (EC) No. 2135/98 and 561/2006 which amended Regulation (EEC) No. 3821/85. The technical specification for the systems is described in Regulation (EC) No. 1360/2002.
Annex 1B was published in the EU Official Journal on 5 August 2002.
Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 on "the Harmonisation of certain social legislation relating to road transport and amending Council Regulations (EEC) No. 3821/85 and (EC) No. 2135/98 and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 3820/85" was published on 11 April 2006 in the Official Journal of the European Union. According to Article 27 of Regulation (EC) No. 561/2006 the introduction of digital tachograph is mandatory in vehicles put into service for the first time in the European Union as from 1st May 2006, namely 20 days after its publication.
In March 2005, DfT released a statement confirming that the UK would support the introduction and use of digital tachographs from August 2005. The Passenger and Goods Vehicles (Recording Equipment) Regulations 2005. (No. 1904) was introduced on 5th August amending the provisions of Part VI of the Transport Act 1968 to take account of the digital tachoraph and to changes of the enforcement regime, which applies to both analogue and digital tachograph. New sections 99ZA to 99ZF provide more detailed enforcement provisions which apply where tachograph , whether analogue or digital are used or documents are required under Community Rules. The enforcement powers are conferred on VOSA examiners and the Police.
In February 2008 The Passenger and Goods Vehicles (Recording Equipment) (Downloading and Retention of Data) Regulations 2008 were published.
For the time being traditional tachographs with paper charts will continue to be used in AETR states.
When using a vehicle with an analogue tachograph a driver must be able to produce:
the record sheets for the current day and those used by the driver in the previous 28 days, the driver card if he holds one, and any manual record and printout made during the current day and the previous 28 days as required (i.e. when a drivers card has been lost, stolen or malfunctions).
When using a vehicle with a digital tachograph a driver must be able to produce: the driver card of which he is holder, any manual record and printout made during the current day and the previous 28 days as required (i.e. when a drivers card has been lost, stolen or malfunctions), the record sheets for the current day and those used by the driver in the previous 28 days during when he drove a vehicle with analogue recording equipment.
