on September 3, a restriction on drivers’ rest came into effect. The new law prohibits taking rest breaks in light commercial vehicles (up to 3.5 tons). Forcing employees to do so is from now on an offence punishable by a class 5 fine.
This ban, which has been published in the French Official Gazette (JORF), penalises hauliers for non-compliance with article L. 3313-4 of the Transport Code, introduced by article 102 of the Mobility Law (LOM)
Drivers will be interested to know that the new legislation means that a Class Friday fine (€1,500) is imposed on “an employer who forces his employee to take a daily or weekly rest on board a light vehicle or in accommodation that does not provide adequate conditions of safety, comfort and hygiene that respect his health
Importantly, an employer whose employee is unable to justify that recent rest periods have been spent in good conditions is also subject to penalties
The French haulage community has overwhelmingly welcomed the new legislation.
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