Tachograph — the speed recorder on the bus

All buses designed to carry more than 9 people, including the driver, and subject to driving/rest time regulations (Regulation (EC) 561/2006), must have a tachograph (speed recorder). It records driving time, breaks, daily rest, and speed, and is the central control tool for the Road Directorate and the police.

New buses registered in the EU must have smart tachograph (version 2) acc. Regulation (EU) 165/2014 with continuous amendments. Smart tachograph v2 automatically registers GPS position and makes it possible for roadside inspection to read data wirelessly (DSRC) without stopping the vehicle.

• 01Driver card (personal) — inserted into the tachograph at the start; records the driver's activities. Valid for at most 5 years; issued by the Danish Road Traffic Authority.
• 02Company card — haulier/operator's card; provides access to company data in the tachograph.
• 03Control/authority card — used by police and the Danish Road Directorate for roadside inspections.
• 04Workshop card — calibration and service; only approved workshops.

• 01Compliance with the 4.5-hour limit and 45-minute break.
• 02Daily and weekly driving time (9/10 hours, 56 hours/week, 90 hours/2 weeks).
• 03Daily and weekly rest (11/9 hours; 45/24 hours).
• 04Missing activities — periods without registration must be explained (e.g. ferry rest outside cab).
• 05Calibration certificate: the tachograph must be calibrated every 2 years or when changing tyres/bodywork.

When you insert your driver's card at the start of the day, the tachograph asks whether you want to record activities for the period since the card was last removed (e.g. rest, ferry, other work). You must also enter the country symbol — the country you start and end the drive in. If the drive is not covered by the rules (e.g. private driving or driving under the 50 km exemption), you put the tachograph in »out of scope« (OUT). If you forget the country symbol or manual entry, periods appear unexplained during inspection.

• 01You can apply for renewal no earlier than two months before the card's expiry date. The Danish Road Traffic Authority recommends applying no later than 15 days before if you want to be sure of having the new card before the old one expires.
• 02A tachograph card costs DKK 350.
• 03If the driver card is damaged, lost or stolen, you must apply for a new one within seven calendar days. The authority issues a replacement card no later than eight working days after receiving a reasoned application (165/2014, Art. 29(4)).
• 04If you can document that you cannot use the card, you may drive without a driver card for at most 15 calendar days — or longer if necessary to get the bus back to base (Art. 29(5)).