France, January 2025: The traffic authorities carry out a routine check near Bordeaux. Several trucks are stopped and, as all too often, the officers discover various infringements: inadequate load securing, failure to observe rest periods and several cabotage trips too many. New in the authorities' sights: The wrong tachograph. Some of the 3.5-ton trucks inspected had not been retrofitted with the new second version of the smart tachograph in time for the deadline on December 31, 2024. An expensive omission that can lead not only to hefty fines but, in the worst case, also to the decommissioning of the vehicles concerned.
As stipulated in the EU Mobility Package 1, the new smart tachograph of the second version shall, among other things, improve fairness and safety on Europe's roads. After newly registered vehicles, the first vehicles in the existing fleet over 3.5 tons that are used in cross-border traffic and have an old analogue or digital tachograph of the first version installed will also hat to be fitted with one in 2024. And anyone who misses the deadline on December 31, 2024, will face severe fines when driving across Europe.
Fines vary from country to country
The road network in Europe connects important points for trade and mobility. On just one trip, you may pass through several countries. With an old tachograph on board, this means that the probability of a fine increases with every meter driven. A few examples:
- In the Atlantic corridor, which runs from Portugal via Spain and France to Germany, fines of up to 70,000 euros can be imposed. In France, you could even face a prison sentence of up to one year.
- On the Baltic-Adriatic corridor, which stretches from Poland to Italy via the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria, the potential fines can add up to around 46,000 euros, which is partly due to the fact that the Italian authorities charge both the driver personally and the transport company. The Slovakian police are also entitled to withhold the registration documents and the license plate until the vehicle has been retrofitted.
- The situation is not much better in the other corridors across Europe, for example along the Rhine and Danube, from the North Sea to the Mediterranean or between the North and Baltic Seas. In the EU, only Ireland has not yet introduced any penalties, and there are only a few countries across Europe with exceptions.
Act early and avoid penalties
The risks of missing the deadline speak for themselves: early action is currently particularly important for anyone whose fleet still has vehicles over 3.5 tons in international use that are on the road with an old analogue or first-generation digital tachograph. The deadline for upgrading at the end of the year is approaching, and with each passing week, the free workshop slots are getting less.
Use the free capacities of the VDO partner workshops and take care of the mandatory retrofitting to a smart tachograph of the second version, such as the VDO DTCO 4.1, now. Find a workshop near you here!
Would you like to know more about what fines you could face in which country if your vehicles are found to be without the second version of the smart tachograph during an inspection from January 2025? Our overview on our information portal myVDO contains all currently valid fines in the EU.