Estonia may let professional drivers work longer during crises

Estonia’s Climate Ministry is preparing a law change that would allow professional drivers to work longer and take less rest during emergencies, ERR reported. The ministry says the measure could help keep essential goods such as medicine and motor fuel moving.

Estonia has not recently needed to make exceptions to working and rest-time rules, but the ministry says the country should prepare for unexpected events. Climate Ministry road and rail department chief specialist Priit Tuuna told ERR that natural disasters and severe storm damage in other countries have led to increased demand for transport.

A ministerial regulation could temporarily ease the rules by extending daily driving time, shortening daily rest or postponing when a truck or bus driver must next take a break.

The ministry acknowledges that longer hours could increase driver fatigue and the risk of road accidents. It says, however, that the temporary risk would be smaller than the harm caused by a possible disruption to supplies of essential goods.

Employers would remain primarily responsible for ensuring drivers rest. Tuuna said any emergency limits would be specific, such as allowing one additional hour of driving, and neither employers nor drivers could exceed them.

Kersten Kattai, head of the Estonian Road Transport Association, said he did not consider the risk of drivers being pushed to work when unfit to be too great, noting that common sense should prevail during exceptional situations.