Tachographs play an important role in ensuring road safety and compliance with driving hours regulations. The government introduced significant updates to tachograph regulations on 21 February 2024. These changes will incorporate smart technology for the monitoring and enforcement of driving practices.

In the following guide, we pull out the most impactful changes to tachograph rules and explain what you can expect from their integration, including their implications for the transport and logistics sector.

What Are Tachographs and Who Needs Them?

Tachographs are devices installed in vehicles to record various data points such as speed, distance and driver activity. Their primary purpose is to ensure compliance with regulations regarding driving hours, thereby promoting road safety and fair competition.

Tachographs help enforce driving hours regulations, with the aim of preventing driver fatigue and ensuring that transport operations are conducted safely and fairly across the transportation industry.

The technology has evolved from analogue to digital, and now to smart tachographs, each generation offering improved features for more accurate and secure data recording.

Legally, tachographs must be used by drivers of commercial vehicles, including lorries and buses, especially those engaged in long-distance and international transport. This ensures that drivers adhere to legal limits on driving times and rest periods.

Tachographs are mandated under both UK and EU law, with regulations detailing their use, the data they must record, and how this information is to be managed and inspected by authorities.

You can learn more here about how to interpret tachograph data correctly.

Key Changes to Tachograph Regulations

The cornerstone of the 2024 tachograph regulations is the introduction of the ‘transitional’ second-generation smart tachograph 2. This new device bridges the gap between the current smart tachograph and the forthcoming full version of smart tachograph 2, incorporating enhanced features designed to improve road safety and compliance monitoring. 

The introduction of the tachograph 2 caters to vehicles used for international journeys, addressing imminent supply issues and avoiding the inefficiency of retrofitting vehicles with outdated technology. By introducing the tachograph 2, the Department of Transport aims to ensure continuity and compliance with anticipated obligations under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, allowing UK goods drivers to continue operations that require them to drive to and from EU countries.

As of 21 February 2024, all businesses, regardless of journey type, must ensure that newly registered, in scope vehicles (over 3.5 tonnes or with 10 or more passenger seats) have a ‘full’ smart tachograph 2 or a ‘transitional’ smart tachograph 2 fitted, which is a temporary solution until the ‘full’ smart tachograph 2 becomes widely available. Currently, the date for this implementation is unknown.

As of 19 August 2025, all operators that undertake international journeys must ensure that they update all their in-scope vehicles, currently fitted with a smart tachograph 1, with a smart tachograph 2 or a ‘transitional’ model. If a vehicle only operates within the UK, then no update is needed.

On or after 1 July 2026, operators must ensure that all vehicles over 2.5 tonnes that undertake international journeys for hire or reward are fitted with a ‘full’ or ‘transitional’ smart tachograph 2. If a vehicle only operates within the UK or an international journey is not the main activity of the driver, then operators are not required to fit a tachograph. The changes apply across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, ensuring there is no diminution of rights, in line with the Northern Ireland Protocol.

The Impacts of the Changes

With these changes, there are several important new factors that may affect drivers:

• Smart Tachograph 2 introduces advanced features for more accurate monitoring of driving hours and rest periods, ensuring drivers are able to adhere to legal requirements more efficiently. This requires drivers to pay more attention to how long they drive for, and may lead to increased investigations into drivers' conduct.
• Drivers operating internationally must equip their vehicles with the 'transitional' or ‘full’ smart tachograph 2, aligning with EU standards.
• There may be logistical and financial implications for drivers and operators, particularly regarding vehicle readiness and compliance. The introduction of smart tachograph 2 necessitates additional training for drivers to familiarise themselves with the new system. This involves both time and financial investment, impacting operators but ultimately contributing to more secure and compliant road transport operations.
• As the transition to smart tachograph 2 progresses, vehicles will eventually need to upgrade to either the transitional or full version, depending on the timeline and availability of these devices.

It is anticipated that in the long term, smart tachograph 2 will bring operational benefits. Enhanced accuracy in recording driving times and automatic recording of border crossings contribute to more efficient journey planning and reduced risk of violations, benefiting drivers in terms of compliance and safety.