The Spanish Civil Guard intercepted a truck driver on the A-381 highway (Cádiz) after he drove his vehicle for more than 20 hours without stopping. The truck, which was coming from Belgium and heading to Morocco, was on a journey spanning approximately 2,300 kilometers—about 30 hours of driving, not including the ferry crossing. Members of the Civil Guard stationed on the highway (Jerez de la Frontera - Los Barrios), tasked with monitoring vehicles designated for international transport, discovered the violation after examining the truck's tachograph device. The device showed that the driver had operated the vehicle for 20 hours and 15 minutes without taking the legally required daily rest period. Assuming a speed of 80 km/h, the driver covered an estimated distance of 1,620 kilometers, equivalent to the distance between Madrid and Florence or between Barcelona and Amsterdam. Fines were imposed on the driver in accordance with road transport regulations, including a financial penalty of 4,001 euros, in addition to a 500-euro fine under general traffic regulations, the deduction of 6 points from the driver's license, and the impoundment of the truck. Tachograph devices, which have been mandatory in the European Union since 2006, are essential tools for monitoring professional transport. They record driving hours, rest periods, speed, and distance traveled.
