Daily driving rules are usually the first thing drivers learn — and one of the first things they still get wrong.
This page explains how daily driving time and breaks actually work in practice, and what they do (and do not) reset.
What daily driving time really is
Daily driving time is the amount of time you are allowed to drive between daily or weekly rest periods.
It is checked independently from weekly and fortnightly limits.
The 4h30 driving rule and the 45-minute break
- After 4 hours and 30 minutes of driving, a break is required
- The break must be 45 minutes total
- It can be split into 15 minutes + 30 minutes
- It does not reset total working time under WTD and does not allow another full 6-hour working block.
A 45-minute break does not reset daily driving limits, weekly limits, or start a new week.
Daily driving limits (9h and 10h explained)
Daily driving time is limited even if all breaks are taken correctly.
For most days, a driver may drive up to 9 hours per day.
However, this limit can be extended to 10 hours, but only twice within the same fixed week.
- Standard daily driving limit: 9 hours
- Extended daily driving limit: 10 hours
- Maximum extensions: 2 per fixed week
- These extensions reset with the fixed week, not after a rest
Taking a weekly rest does not reset the number of 10-hour driving days.
Only the fixed week boundary (Monday 00:00) resets the count.
A tachograph check always groups daily driving by fixed weeks, not by your work pattern.
Example: how drivers accidentally exceed limits
A driver extends driving to 10 hours on Thursday and Friday.
They take a weekly rest over the weekend and return on Monday.
If they extend again to 10 hours before Monday 00:00, this will cause an infringement — even though a weekly rest was taken.
The most common mistake drivers make
Many drivers believe that taking a correct 45-minute break creates a “clean start”.
It doesn’t.
It only allows you to continue driving — nothing more.
Why a day can look legal — and still fail
Daily rules are checked inside fixed weeks.
That’s why a driving day can look perfect on its own, but still be part of an infringement once all data is analysed together.
In short
- Daily driving is limited to 9 hours
- It can be extended to 10 hours only twice per fixed week
- Breaks allow more driving — they do not reset limits
- Daily driving resets only after a valid daily or weekly rest
- Daily limits are checked independently from weekly limits
Need help with your tachograph data?
If something doesn’t add up, looks clean but still failed a check,
or you’re not sure how the rules were applied — we can help.