Tachograph symbols are evidence prompts, not conclusions
Activity icons and event messages help an operator identify what a tachograph recorded. They do not establish the cause, the legal significance or whether the operator’s controls were effective.
The operator should connect the symbol to the driver, vehicle, journey, downloaded data and work actually carried out. Where the record is wrong, preserve the original and the correction so that the audit trail remains clear.
What the main activity records mean
| Record | Official meaning in practice | Operator control question |
|---|---|---|
| Driving | Most tachographs record driving automatically when the vehicle moves. | Does the driver-card record match vehicle movement and the vehicle-unit data? |
| Other work | Work other than in-scope driving, including work for the same or another employer. | Are vehicle checks, loading, cleaning, administration and other duties being recorded rather than treated as waiting or rest? |
| Availability | A period that meets the current legal definition, including that the driver is not required to remain at the workstation but must be available to answer calls to start or resume driving or other work, with the foreseeable duration known in advance. It is not break or rest. | Can the operator show why the period met every part of the availability definition? |
| Break | A period during which the driver may not carry out driving or other work and which is used exclusively for recuperation. | Do schedules, messages and surrounding activities show that no work was carried out? |
| Rest | An uninterrupted period during which the driver may freely dispose of their time. | Does the surrounding evidence support that the period was uninterrupted and genuinely free? |
Controls around mode selection
Mode behaviour after a vehicle stops can vary according to the approved unit and its configuration. The driver remains responsible for checking that the displayed mode matches the activity being carried out. Operator training should therefore cover the units fitted in the fleet and should not assume every vehicle behaves in the same way.
Briefing alone is not enough. Sample later downloads to check whether the expected mode is being selected and whether repeated errors point to training, unit configuration, scheduling or supervision.
Correcting an inaccurate record
Where a digital or smart tachograph has not made an accurate activity record, current GOV.UK guidance says the driver should make and sign a printout for the relevant period, noting the error and reason at the time it is made. Manual records must be kept and produced in the same way as other tachograph records.
The operator file should retain the original download, the signed correction, the review decision and any follow-up. A bare note that the driver was spoken to is unlikely to explain what was checked or whether the control worked.
Download and analysis evidence
Current GOV.UK guidance states that operators must periodically download vehicle-unit data every 90 days and driver-card data every 28 days and analyse it for compliance. The operator should be able to show that downloads were complete, exceptions were followed up and repeat patterns were identified.
- download schedule and missing-data checks
- driver and vehicle exception reports
- signed printouts and manual records
- infringement review and driver response
- action owner, target date and later effectiveness check
Manufacturer displays and fault messages
Appendix 3 contains prescribed pictograms and combinations that a tachograph may use. Display wording and event or fault combinations can vary by unit and software version. Verify an unfamiliar message against the approved instructions for the equipment fitted.
Official sources
- DVSA: tachograph rules for goods vehicles, updated 1 July 2026
- Regulation (EU) 2016/799, Appendix 3 pictograms
- EUR-Lex reuse policy
Return to the Commercial Vehicle Signs, Symbols and Codes centre.