Brussels, 14/06/2002 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday, the Commission adopted the technical specifications of the new digital tachograph that will record driving times and rest periods of professional drivers. "The introduction of the tachograph is a significant step forward in road transport, both in terms of safety on European roads, but also for professional drivers' working conditions", said Transport Commissioner Loyola de Palacio.
The regulation defines the characteristics of construction, installation, use and testing of the digital recording equipment that will be compulsorily fitted on professional road transport vehicles within the next two years (see EUROPE of 21 March). The data recorded by the digital tachograph will be more tamper-proof and more reliable than the data provided by the current mechanical equipment. Whereas the old system is composed of a mechanically operated vehicle unit and paper record sheets, the new tachograph comprises a digital vehicle unit and a personal driver card The driver card has to be issued by the Member State in which the driver has his residence. The digital tachograph automatically registers the activity of the drivers and keeps the information for a year. The personal microprocessor card registers and stores data on the activity of the drivers over the last 28 days. The new equipment will be easier to use, more difficult to falsify and easy to check by drivers, enforcement officers and transport undertakings.