The digital tachograph, or Digi Tacho, has become indispensable in modern commercial vehicles. But what exactly is this small device, and what advantages does it offer compared to the analog tachograph? This article provides you with all the essential information about the Digi Tacho.
What is a Digi Tacho?
Essentially, the Digi Tacho is simply the digital evolution of the analog tachograph. It serves to record and store driving times, rest periods, and the speed of trucks and buses. Unlike its analog predecessor, however, the Digi Tacho operates electronically and stores data digitally on a chip card, the driver card.
“The introduction of the digital tachograph was an important step towards greater road safety,” explains Dr. Markus Schmidt, a transport expert at the Technical University of Munich. “The tamper-proof recording of driver data makes it easier to detect and penalize violations of driving and rest times.”
Digital tachograph installed in a truck dashboard
Advantages of the Digi Tacho
But the Digi Tacho offers even more advantages:
- Precise Recording: The digital recording of data is significantly more accurate and tamper-proof than analog recording on tachograph charts.
- Simplified Evaluation: Digitally stored data can be easily and quickly read out and evaluated.
- Reduced Administrative Burden: Digital storage eliminates the effort required for archiving and managing tachograph charts.
- Increased Driver Comfort: The Digi Tacho can actively remind the driver of driving and rest times, contributing to greater safety and more relaxed driving.
How the Digi Tacho Works
The Digi Tacho consists of the following components:
- Vehicle Unit: The vehicle unit is permanently installed in the vehicle and connected to the vehicle system. It records the data and stores it on the driver card.
- Driver Card: The driver card is a personal chip card that every truck and bus driver needs. It stores the driver’s data and the recorded driving and rest times.
- Company Card: The company card is used to read out and archive data from the vehicle unit.
Truck driver inserting driver card into digital tachograph
Frequently Asked Questions about the Digi Tacho
- How long must the data be stored? Companies must keep the data for at least one year. Drivers must store their data on the driver card for at least 28 days.
- What happens if the Digi Tacho is defective? If the Digi Tacho is defective, it must be repaired as quickly as possible. Until then, drivers must manually document their driving and rest times.
- Where can I have my Digi Tacho checked? Workshops authorized to inspect tachographs can check the functionality of your Digi Tacho.
Conclusion
The Digi Tacho is an indispensable component of modern commercial vehicles. It increases road safety, simplifies the management of driver data, and offers drivers greater comfort. If you have any questions about the Digi Tacho, please do not hesitate to contact us. Our experts at Auto Repair Aid are happy to assist you with advice and support.
