Guidance: Emergency exemption and temporary relaxation of drivers' hours and working time rules

National journeys within the UK and between the UK and EU are governed by the assimilated (EU retained) drivers’ hours and tachograph rules.

AETR?rules apply to international journeys that are not wholly between the UK and EU and are to or through a country that is a signatory to the?AETR?agreement, including journeys involving Norway and Switzerland.

These documents include:

• an explanation of drivers’ hours and working time rules
• guidance on dealing with emergency and urgent situations
• information on how to request a temporary relaxation of the drivers’ hours rules
• a template statement of a case for requesting a relaxation

Drivers’ hours and working time rules are in place to protect drivers and reduce the risk of them being involved in accidents due to tiredness.

Updates to this page Published 8 December 2011 Last updated 4 October 2024 + show all updates 4 October 2024 Assimilated (EU retained) drivers' hours rules: advice updated.

28 October 2020 Updated to give further guidance on possible relaxations of the working time rules and exemptions for vehicles used on a 'craft basis'.

17 December 2018 Guidance updated to give further guidance on the use of the emergency exemption in EU drivers’ hours rules to deal with weather related events.

23 January 2017 Guidance revised to take into account revisions to the exemptions and national derogations to the EU drivers’ hours rules.

8 December 2011 First published.

Sign up for emails or print this page Get emails about this page Print this page Related content Drivers' hours: Bus and coach driver basics Vehicle operators who committed road safety offences in 2021 Severe weather: drivers’ hours regulations Operators who have committed drivers’ hours offences in Great Britain Collection Drivers' hours: rules and guidance