This question was posted in the Blog section, so thought it would be best moved here allowing all easier viewing.

vosa inspections in laybys

please can anyone verify the law that a vosa inspector or snooper can knock on your cab door and wake you up whilst you are on a 45 min break and demand to see your tacko etc. i would have thought that would be classed as other work!!
There is nothing in black and white so to speak to say that a Vosa Inspector can't knock your door and wake you up whilst you are on a 45 minute break, how are they to know you are on a break? I know a few drivers who just pull over for 20 minutes just to have a 'power nap' not a official break but just want to have a sleep....... never understood why cause i always wake feeling worse.

However as a driver you are entitled to tell them you are on a break and to come back when your break is over, and know of several instance where a driver have told them to come back, and they have gone away and been returned to the vehicle the minute the driver's break was over.

You are right though, if you do decide to let them inspect you there and then, you must change your mode to "Other Work" and you must restart your rest period all over again, but if you already got 15 minutes under your belt, then you would only have to take 30 minutes to comply with the full 45 minute break.

Most Vosa staff i have spoken to have said they don't interrupt drivers if they know they are on a break, unless they feel they need to inform the driver that they want to see him before he pulls away, and normally only do this if they have found a obvious issue with the vehicle.