Driving times and 45-minute breaks
CABINA Editorial Team
Driving times under Regulation (CE) 561/2006 as summarised by the European Commission: daily and weekly limits and 45-minute breaks.
Machine translation, not verified [NV].
Driving times in the EU are set by Regulation (CE) 561/2006: at most 9 hours a day and 56 a week, according to the summary published by the European Commission on its official page [V].
Driving
- Daily: must not exceed 9 hours; it can be extended to 10 hours twice a week [V].
- Weekly: at most 56 hours [V].
- Over two consecutive weeks: at most 90 hours [V].
Newsroom calculation, not source data: a driver who drives 56 hours in one week can drive at most 34 in the next (90 − 56).
The 45-minute break after 4 and a half hours
After 4 and a half hours of driving at the latest, a break of at least 45 minutes is required [V]. It can be split into two parts: first 15 minutes, then 30 [V].
Daily and weekly rest
Daily rest is at least 11 hours, which can be split into 3 hours plus 9 [V]. It can be reduced to 9 hours at most three times; the Commission writes “three times a week”, while unofficial copies of article 8 say “between any two weekly rest periods”: the exact wording remains to be verified [NV].
Weekly rest is 45 consecutive hours, reducible to 24 hours every other week [V].
Vans of 2,5 to 3,5 tonnes
According to the European Commission, since 1 July 2026 light commercial vehicles of 2,5 to 3,5 tonnes used in international transport for hire or reward must also be fitted with a tachograph [V].
Spain
The Spanish Ministry of Transport page on driving times could not be opened: data not found [NV]. According to Spain’s notification to the European Commission of March 2021, penalties for exceeding driving time or not respecting rest range from 100–200 € for minor offences to 4.001–6.000 € for very serious ones, depending on the excess [V]. Current amounts may differ: to be verified [NV].
This article summarises the general rules of the European Union and does not replace the official text of the regulation or advice on specific cases.
Base Spanish not verified by a native speaker [NV].
CABINA Editorial Team
Sources
- European Commission, “Driving time and rest periods”: https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-modes/road/social-provisions/driving-time-and-rest-periods_en, consulted on 28/10/2026 [V].
- European Commission, “Tachograph”: https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-modes/road/social-provisions/tachograph_en, consulted on 28/10/2026 [V].
- Spain, notification of penalties to the European Commission: https://transport.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2021-03/penalties_notification_spain.pdf, document of 03/2021, consulted on 28/10/2026 [V].
- Ministerio de Transportes, “Tiempos de conducción y descanso”: https://www.transportes.gob.es/transporte-terrestre/inspeccion-y-seguridad-en-el-transporte/tiempos-de-conduccion-y-descanso, not accessible (403) [NV].
Informational content, not advice. Always check the text of the source given; for your own case, consult a professional or the competent authority.