DEFRA has announced a temporary and limited emergency relaxation in driver hours to deliver feed supplies to livestock farms to make sure essentials get through during the current extreme winter weather conditions.

This will apply until 11.59pm on Saturday, March 30 and applies only to drivers involved in the distribution of raw materials to feed mills and prepared feed to livestock farms and will mean: 

  • Replacement of the EU daily driving limit of nine hours with one of ten hours; 
  • Reduction of the daily rest requirements from 11 hours to nine hours; 
  • Postponement of the weekly rest requirement by up to 24 hours, following which drivers should take their weekly rest as normal. Drivers will however be required to take a minimum rest of 24 hours beginning no later than the end of the eleventh day since the end of his/her last weekly rest period.

The requirement to take a 45-minute break after four-and-a-half hours’ driving remains and will continue to be rigorously enforced.

For more details contact the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency on 0300 1239000 or email enquiries@vosa.gov.uk.