On 21 February, the Spanish and Portuguese authorities introduced a ban on drivers taking weekly (45-hour) rests in their cabs. The penalty of €2,000 is higher than many other European countries.

The ban has been promised for some time with it first being planned for July 2018, however this deadline was postponed until 1 January, 2019 and again until 21 February.  The fine is the equivalent to the penalty for the lack of weekly rest.  If checked, drivers must be able to prove that they spent the previous 45-hour rest outside the vehicle.

In comparison to other European countries the penalty is high: Belgians charge €1,800, Germans charge the driver €500 and the carrier €1,500, Italian fines range from €425 to €1,701 and in Britain the fine is £300, but only if the lorry is parked illegally.  In France the penalty can be as high as €30,000, however the average is around €2,300.