Safety, Dignity and Europe: Why Ukraine Must Change the Rules for Professional Drivers
Volodymyr Kreidenko, Ukrainian MP, deputy chairman of the Committee on Transport
How many times have you read news about horrific accidents involving trucks or buses where the cause was listed as “the driver fell asleep at the wheel”? Behind these dry lines are human lives and a systemic problem that Ukraine has ignored for years. In the race for delivery speed and profit, we often forget about the physical limits of human capability. Meanwhile, our European partners have long understood: a fatigued driver is a potential source of danger for everyone on the road. That is why my colleagues and I have developed draft law №. 14280, “On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine ‘On Motor Transport’ regarding the harmonization of requirements for drivers’ working and rest hours and the use of tachographs with European Union standards.” This is not just “another set of amendments.” It is a tectonic shift from chaos to civilized European rules—rules we committed to when we signed the EU Association Agreement.
Until now, working and rest time for drivers in Ukraine has been regulated mainly by ministerial orders. This created a paradox: the requirements existed, but their legal status was below that of a law, and enforcement was weak. In the European Union, these rules have the force of law and form an unshakable foundation for the entire transport sector. Our draft law fixes this gap. We elevate road safety to the highest legislative level by implementing EU Regulations No. 561/2006 and No. 165/2014. We transform outdated norms into a clear system in which every market participant knows their rights and obligations.
A key innovation is technological control. We introduce into law the concept of digital and smart tachographs. The days when someone could tamper with a speedometer or trick a mechanical device must become a thing of the past. The draft law requires that vehicles (trucks over 3.5 tons and buses with 9+ seats) be equipped with modern devices. What is a smart tachograph? It is a device that automatically records not only speed and driving time, but also border crossings, the coordinates of the start and end of the working day, and loading locations. It is a “black box” that makes the driver’s work transparent. And for those who attempt to cheat the system, we have introduced serious penalties: using devices to bypass a tachograph (such as magnets or altered firmware) may result in a fine of 17,000 UAH. Road safety does not tolerate compromise.
We clearly define the time limits that are standard in Europe. They are based on human physiology, not the whims of employers. The maximum driving time is 9 hours per day (which may be extended to 10 hours twice a week), and the weekly limit is no more than 56 hours. After 4.5 hours of driving, the driver must take a 45-minute break or split it into shorter segments. This is not about restricting business; it is about ensuring that the person driving toward you on the highway has normal reaction time—and is not someone finishing an 18-hour shift.
I want to draw special attention to the provision that protects drivers as employees. We introduce the European rule that prohibits taking a regular weekly rest (45 hours) in the vehicle cabin. No matter how comfortable the cabin is, it is still a workplace. A person must have the opportunity to rest properly in normal conditions. This is a matter of respect for the profession and for human dignity.
Skeptics may say that this will complicate business, but I insist that it will save the market and benefit everyone. First, it will ensure fair competition: today, conscientious carriers who pay official wages and allow drivers to rest lose out to those who squeeze every last drop out of their workers—and the new law levels the playing field. Second, it opens borders for our companies. Ukrainian carriers want to operate in the EU market, but without full legal harmonization and the use of smart tachographs, we remain outsiders. This draft law is our ticket to full integration into the European logistics system. And, of course, the main beneficiary will be safety: reducing fatigue-related accidents will save thousands of lives.
We are not reinventing the wheel. We are adopting a model that has proven its effectiveness in the EU and adapting it for Ukraine. It is time to move from a “wild market” to civilized European highways.