German police stopped a truck travelling in wide zigzags on the A7 motorway and prohibited the driver from continuing after downloading the tachograph records
German motorway police discovered serious driving and rest-time violations involving a 72-year-old truck driver. The man had been driving or performing other work for approximately 32 hours with almost no meaningful rest.
The incident occurred at around 23:10 on August 29, 2026, on the A7 motorway in the German state of Lower Saxony. Another road user contacted the Hildesheim motorway police after noticing an articulated truck travelling south in wide zigzags.
Police officers located the vehicle and directed it into the Harz-West motorway service area near Seesen. The truck was carrying fruit and was being driven by a 72-year-old man from Erfurt.
The officers found no indication that the driver was under the influence of alcohol or other substances. However, they discovered that his personal driver card had not been inserted into the digital tachograph, according to the official statement issued by the Hildesheim Police Inspectorate.
After discovering the missing driver card, officers downloaded the information stored directly in the truck’s recording equipment. The data showed that the driver had spent approximately 32 hours almost continuously driving or performing other work, including activities such as loading and unloading.
“In addition, an uninterrupted driving period of approximately eight hours was recorded during this time. The maximum permitted uninterrupted driving period is 4.5 hours. After that, a break of at least 45 minutes must be taken. Furthermore, daily driving time is generally limited to nine hours, followed by a required rest period of 11 hours.” – Statement by the Hildesheim Police Inspectorate
The longest break recorded during the entire period lasted only two hours. This was not sufficient to meet the normal daily-rest requirement or allow the driver to recover properly.
The tachograph also recorded a period of approximately eight hours of uninterrupted driving. The driver had therefore remained behind the wheel for almost twice the standard maximum period allowed before a mandatory break.
German police noted that the normal maximum uninterrupted driving period is 4.5 hours. A driver must then take a break lasting at least 45 minutes. Daily driving time is generally limited to nine hours, after which an 11-hour daily rest period is normally required.
Driving and rest periods can be adjusted under specific circumstances permitted by European regulations. However, the working pattern found in this case did not comply with the applicable limits.
A driver card is a personal component of the digital tachograph system. It records driving periods, other work, availability, breaks and rest taken by an individual commercial driver.
Failing to insert the card does not prevent the tachograph itself from recording vehicle activity. The device continues to store information about speed, distance travelled and vehicle movement. By downloading the tachograph’s internal memory, officers were able to reconstruct how the truck had been operated.
Police did not state why the driver had been using the truck without his card inserted or whether he had deliberately attempted to conceal his working time. His motive therefore remains undetermined.
The official statement also did not identify the transport company, provide details of the fruit shipment’s route or specify the potential financial penalties.
Following the inspection, officers opened administrative proceedings covering the detected violations and immediately prohibited the driver from continuing his journey. The truck remained at the Harz-West service area.
The driver’s age was not itself the reason for the intervention or the driving prohibition. Police acted because of the dangerous driving pattern reported by another motorist and the serious violations subsequently identified in the tachograph data.
Working for an extended period without adequate sleep can reduce reaction time, concentration and the ability to keep a heavy articulated vehicle under control. The wide zigzag movements reported by the witness could have been consistent with severe fatigue, although police did not publish a separate medical assessment of the driver’s condition.
The report submitted by another road user allowed officers to stop the vehicle before a potentially serious traffic accident occurred.
As K2Cargo.News previously reported, compliance with driving and rest-time rules remains one of the most significant challenges in European road freight. Violations can be linked to insufficient truck-parking capacity, demanding delivery schedules, driver shortages or attempts to increase vehicle productivity.
Read also: New Report Reveals Widespread Problems in Europe’s International Road Transport Sector
