The Freight Transport Association has helped influence the EU to allow the use of digital tachograph adapters for vans.

Before the legislative change, sub-3.5 tonne vehicles physically unable to house a digital tachograph suddenly became illegal to drive if they breached the weight threshold, bringing them under drivers’ hours rules and necessitating a tachograph.

Now that digital tachograph adapters have been given the green light, operators of vehicles that require a tachograph when towing a trailer, for example, can have an adapter fitted to avoid any compliance issues.



Before this ruling, the European Commission would not allow a speed signal to be taken from anywhere other than the gearbox area.

In smaller vehicles this made fitting a tachograph difficult and, in certain cases, impossible thus rendering them illegal to operate.



Andy Mair, FTA’s head of engineering policy, said:

“We spotted this problem quite early on and raised it with the European Commission, putting across the concerns of vehicle operators at the smaller end of the market.

"The ruling will make compliance easier and more practicable for an often overlooked group.”