UK Drivers' Hours: Maximum Driving Hours Per Week (the 56-Hour Rule Explained)
UK drivers' hours under EU 561/2006: 56-hour weekly cap, 90-hour two-week cap, 9-hour daily limit (10h twice weekly), and the rules DVSA actually enforces at roadside.
Quick answer: UK HGV and PCV drivers can drive a maximum of 56 hours per week with an absolute cap of 90 hours across any two consecutive weeks. Daily driving is limited to 9 hours (extendable to 10 hours twice per week). These rules come from retained EU Regulation 561/2006 and are enforced by DVSA. Breaches attract graduated fixed penalties (£50-£300+ per offence) and operator licence action via the Traffic Commissioner.
The 56-hour weekly cap is the cornerstone of UK drivers' hours regulation. Every other limit — daily driving, breaks, rest periods — feeds into making sure no driver exceeds the weekly total. DVSA roadside checks and operator audits are designed to catch breaches before they become accidents.
The full UK drivers' hours table
| Limit | Maximum | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Daily driving | 9 hours | Extendable to 10 hours up to twice per week |
| Weekly driving | 56 hours | Single calendar week (Mon-Sun) |
| Two-week driving cap | 90 hours | Any consecutive 2 weeks |
| Daily rest | 11 hours (uninterrupted) | Reducible to 9 hours up to 3× between weekly rests |
| Weekly rest | 45 hours (uninterrupted) | Reducible to 24 hours every other week (with compensation) |
| 4.5-hour break | 45 minutes (full) or 15+30 split | Required after 4.5 hours accumulated driving |
The weekly 56-hour rule explained
56 hours of pure driving time within any single fixed calendar week (Monday 00:00 to Sunday 24:00). This excludes:
- Breaks (45-minute rest stops don't count toward driving)
- Loading and unloading time
- Periods of availability (POA — waiting where you can dispose of time)
- Daily and weekly rest periods
It includes only the time you spend physically driving the vehicle. The tachograph records this automatically on smart tachographs.
The 90-hour two-week rule
Across any two consecutive weeks (rolling, not calendar), you cannot exceed 90 hours of driving. This rolls forward day by day:
- If you drove 56 hours last week and 50 hours this week, your two-week total is 106 — illegal
- If you drove 56 hours last week, this week's maximum is 34 hours
- The rule prevents two consecutive 56-hour weeks (which would total 112)
Daily driving: 9 hours, extendable to 10
Standard daily driving limit is 9 hours from when you start driving until you end your driving day (after the weekly or daily rest).
You can extend to 10 hours twice per week. After the second 10-hour day, your remaining days that week must each be at most 9 hours.
Example: Monday 9h, Tuesday 10h, Wednesday 9h, Thursday 10h, Friday 9h = 47 hours. Two 10-hour days used. Saturday and Sunday driving must be at 9h or less each.
Daily and weekly rest
- Daily rest: 11 hours of uninterrupted rest between driving days. Reducible to 9 hours up to 3 times between weekly rests (no compensation required).
- Weekly rest: 45 hours uninterrupted. Can be reduced to 24 hours every other week, but the missing 21 hours must be compensated by being attached to another rest period within the next 3 weeks.
The 4.5-hour break
After 4.5 hours of accumulated driving, you must take a break before driving more:
- One unbroken 45-minute break, OR
- Split as 15 minutes followed by 30 minutes (in that order — never 30+15)
The break must be a true break — no other work (loading, paperwork) counts.
Who these rules apply to
EU 561/2006 (retained in UK law) covers:
- Goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight (HGVs)
- Passenger vehicles carrying 9 or more passengers including the driver (PCVs)
- Some combinations under 3.5t where trailer pushes total over
Exempt: emergency services, military, some agricultural, breakdown recovery within 100km, vehicles used purely for non-commercial purposes.
DVSA enforcement — what they check at roadside
Officers download driver card data and the vehicle unit. They verify:
- 4.5-hour break compliance
- 9/10-hour daily driving
- 11/9-hour daily rest
- 56-hour weekly driving
- 90-hour two-week driving
- 45/24-hour weekly rest with compensation
- Manual entries reconciling driver card gaps
- Smart tachograph integrity
Penalties
- Minor breaches: £50-£100 fixed penalty
- Moderate breaches: £100-£300 fixed penalty
- Serious breaches: £300-£1,500+ or court summons
- Manipulation: prosecution; potential imprisonment
- Operator licence: repeated breaches trigger Traffic Commissioner action (warning → curtailment → revocation)
Multi-manning rules
When two or more drivers share a vehicle, daily rest can be reduced to 9 hours within 30 hours of starting duty. The second driver must be present from the start of the second hour of driving.
Common mistakes
- Counting POA waiting time as driving (incorrect)
- Splitting the 45-minute break wrong (must be 15+30, not 30+15 or smaller fragments)
- Driving past 4.5 hours assuming the break "rolls over"
- Not taking compensation for reduced weekly rest within 3 weeks
- Reducing daily rest more than 3 times between weekly rests
Related guides
- Working Time Directive breaks for UK HGV drivers
- Tachograph records: UK operator's guide
- HGV driver logbooks: DVSA roadside checks
- Fleet vehicle daily walkaround inspection
Last reviewed 2026-05-19 by Jamie Dawson, Editor.
