In Belgium, a driver must be able to produce a paper printout of any driving record from a truck with a digital tachograph, for any journey that he has undertaken in the preceding 15 calendar days.

"There is no problem if the driver is in a truck fitted with a digital tachograph. But, if he has switched to a truck with an analogue tachograph, he cannot print out a record on the spot.  One of our member's drivers has been fined because he was caught in just such a situation," said RHA Head of International Affairs Peter Cullum.

"He was in possession of his tachograph charts and his driver's card which would have been sufficient to meet the requirements of the UK authorities.

"The Belgian officer involved appears to have told the driver that he lacked the equipment to read the digital card, even though Belgium has formally stated that it has such equipment," adds Cullum.

"For the moment we recommend that, if a digital tachograph equipped vehicle has been driven in the previous 15 days, drivers should carry appropriate print-outs as well as driver cards when operating abroad, even if there is any prospect of driving with an analogue tachograph."

Austria is understood to be adopting a similar stance to Belgium and the position of other countries is being checked. Meanwhile, the RHA is assisting its member in lodging an appeal on behalf of the driver.