Hungarian weekend truck driving ban lifted for Saturday night

The Hungarian Ministry of Construction and Transport has announced the temporary lifting of weekend driving bans for heavy goods vehicles due to the exceptionally high temperatures. The driving ban, which normally applies from Saturday 3 p.m. to Sunday 10 p.m., will be partially lifted during the night period from Saturday 10 p.m. to Sunday 6 a.m.

Restricted opening hours for trucks

This means that on the weekend of 13-14 July 2024, there will be a driving ban for trucks over 7.5 tonnes on Hungarian roads at the following times:

• Saturday, July 13, 2024: 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
• Sunday, July 14, 2024: 06:00 to 22:00

The decision to lift the night-time restriction was made out of consideration for the health and safety of professional drivers. As the ministry explains, long waits in overheated cabins are not only harmful to health, but can also seriously affect drivers’ concentration and performance once they resume driving.

Hungary’s weather service Hungaromet Zrt issued the highest heat warning for most of the country on Wednesday, with highest daytime temperatures expected to be between 34 and 41 degrees Celsius. Temperatures have not dropped since then, so at the time of writing the warning is expected to remain in place until Thursday, July 18.