Last week finally saw the introduction of the new Smart Tachograph. All relevant vehicles registered after June 15th will have to be fitted with one. Although enshrined in law during 2014 the intervening preparation phase has been fraught with difficulty and even now there are supply chain issues, although these should be resolved within a few weeks.
This new digital tachograph is a step change for the transport sector and enforcement authorities. As well as having an embedded location device it will now be possible for the police and DVSA to capture information such as security breaches, the absence of a valid card and the speed recorded by the tachograph while the vehicle is still moving. SMMT will be working with the regulatory authorities to develop the next iteration due in two years’ time.
