Drivers of heavy goods, light goods, public service vehicles and all of those operating in the commercial arena are subject to a large number of regulations and laws relating to how they can operate, the manner in which they operate and the length of time for which they can operate.

As well as being subject to general road traffic laws and other more general motoring requirements, those who operate and drive taxis or private hire vehicles are subject to several other provisions.

It is the responsibility of both drivers and their employers to ensure that they comply with the drivers’ hours and tachograph rules. The rules to which you will be subject depend upon where you were driving at the time, the type of vehicle you were driving and the type of driving you were doing.

It is a requirement of The Road Traffic Act 1988 that vehicle users ensure that the vehicles which they drive vehicles are not overloaded. In the event that a vehicle is found to be overloaded then both the driver and operator could be prosecuted or cautioned.

Anyone who wishes to carry goods connected with any trade or business and who uses a motor vehicle on a road with either a gross plated weight of more than 3.5 tonnes or, if there is no gross plated weight, an unladen weight of more than 1525 kg will need an operator’s licence.

Although there are many vehicles which can, under certain circumstances, be driven on an ordinary driving licence (including vans, minibuses and motorhomes) if you plan to drive a large goods vehicle (LGV) or passenger-carrying vehicle (PCV) then you will need to obtain the appropriate entitlement.

Health and Safety legislation imposes a duty of care on employers in relation to all employees, including a duty of care for all staff engaged on ‘at work journeys’. Therefore, whether employees are full time, temporary or driving their own vehicles on company business, their safety is the concern of the company.

Anyone who is a qualified driver and who holds a current full driving licance can supervise and teach another person to drive a car provided that other person holds a valid provisional licence. What they are not allowed to do is to charge money, or money’s worth, for that instruction unless they are registered to do so.