The Irish road haulage industry has been accused of tampering with their digital tachographs in order to get around the Working Time Directive, and putting the lives of countless other road users in danger in the process.
Assistant Garda Commissioner Kevin Ludlow says that hauliers are using magnetic devices to tamper with their digital tachographs to give the impression that a truck has been parked up, when it was in fact on the road.
Describing the practice as “an accident waiting to happen” the Assistant Garda Commissioner said that tampering with the tachograph, could also affect the braking system on the vehicle.
The Garda chief said the magnet also disabled the truck’s anti-lock brakes and the speedometer.
He said that two truck drivers had already been prosecuted for tampering with the tachograph and that other prosecutions were pending.
