Key points:
- In the UK, clocks go back from 02:00 to 01:00 on Sunday, 25 October; in most of the EU, from 03:00 to 02:00.
- Digital and smart tachographs record in UTC, so their data is not affected by the clock change.
- From 25 October, UK local time (GMT) is the same as UTC, which makes manual entries easier.
- Analogue tachographs must be set manually to the official time of the country where the vehicle is registered.
- A night shift on 24–25 October lasts one hour longer, and drivers who work at night have a 10-hour working time limit.
When exactly do the clocks change?
According to GOV.UK, the clocks in the UK go back one hour at 02:00 on Sunday, 25 October, to 01:00. In the EU, summer time ends at the same moment, at 01:00 UTC, under the EU summer-time directive. In Central European countries such as Poland, Hungary or Germany, this means 03:00 becomes 02:00. In Romania and other countries on Eastern European Time, 04:00 becomes 03:00.
The European Commission proposed ending seasonal clock changes in 2018, but EU countries have never agreed on the change. So drivers will need to adjust again this year.
Digital tachograph: UTC does not change
Digital and smart tachographs have an internal clock that runs on Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). According to the UK tachograph rules, the display can show local time or UTC, but all data is recorded in UTC. DVSA recommends keeping the display in UTC as a reminder of the time difference.
This matters when drivers make manual entries, for example for other work done away from the vehicle:
- during British Summer Time, UTC is one hour behind local time, so other work from 06:00 to 08:00 local time is entered as 05:00 to 07:00 UTC,
- from 25 October, UK local time (GMT) is the same as UTC, so no conversion is needed until the clocks go forward again in March,
- in Central Europe, winter time is UTC+1, so drivers there must still subtract one hour from local time.
Some units change the local time shown on the display automatically, while others need the driver or operator to adjust it. Either way, the UTC record does not change.
Analogue tachograph: the most common mistake
Analogue tachographs must show the official time of the country where the vehicle is registered, so they must be adjusted by hand. In the UK, that means British Summer Time in summer and GMT from 25 October.
Many analogue devices cannot be turned back. In that case, the clock must be moved forward by 23 hours. Drivers often stop too early, after 11 hours, leaving the clock 12 hours wrong. Because the dial shows a 12-hour face, morning and evening look the same, so drivers must check carefully whether it is am or pm.
A simple test is to insert a chart for a few minutes and check that the trace appears in the right place. Remember also that one chart must not cover more than 24 hours.
Night shift: one extra hour at work
For drivers working through the night of 24–25 October, the shift will be one hour longer than the clock suggests. A shift from 22:00 to 06:00, for example, will last nine hours instead of eight. The tachograph records real time, so that extra hour counts towards driving time, other work and working time.
This can cause problems under the Road Transport (Working Time) Regulations. For goods vehicle drivers in the UK, night time means the period from 00:00 to 04:00. Drivers who work at night must not exceed 10 hours of working time in any 24-hour period, unless a collective or workforce agreement allows it. A shift planned close to that limit can easily go over it because of the extra hour.
The other rules still apply as usual:
- no more than six hours of work without a break,
- a break of at least 30 minutes for 6–9 hours of work and 45 minutes for more than 9 hours,
- an average of no more than 48 hours a week over the reference period.
Checklist for drivers and operators
- Check that analogue tachographs show the correct local time after 25 October, including am or pm.
- Check the local time on the digital tachograph display, and remember that manual entries are made in UTC.
- Plan night shifts on 24–25 October with the extra hour in mind, especially if they are close to the 10-hour limit.
- Make sure planning and payroll systems use real hours worked, not just clock times.
Accurate tachograph records also protect drivers. As trans.info has reported, tachograph data can help drivers prove unpaid overtime, while inspectors can spot even small irregularities, as in the case of a 25-second driver card swap in Sweden. trans.info also explained what to do with the tachograph at the clock change in previous years.
