Officers of the Rivierenland Police Zone stopped 7 drivers from Charleroi taking part in a wedding procession on the N16 road in the vicinity of the Antwerp town of Puurs on Saturday evening. The public prosecutor's office immediately revoked their driving licences. ‘They hindered the traffic but insisted that a vehicle procession was part of a wedding in their culture,’ the local police said.
Home News
7 drivers see licence revoked after wedding procession stops traffic
Colin Clapson
Published:
Seven men from Charleroi (Wallonia) lost their driving licences for 15 days after reckless driving during a wedding procession on a national road in Puurs-Sint-Amands (Antwerp Province). The incident happened last weekend.
"The cars were decorated and were driven very slowly in a column on the N16 from Temse towards Willebroek. The vehicles blocked both lanes of traffic. They had all 4 indicators flashing and braked frequently. The cars regularly came to a halt and the occupants got out on the carriageway," Dirk Van de Sande of Police Zone Rivierenland explains.
After several reports from other road users, the police attended the scene. The drivers were then diverted to a car park in Puurs.
"The revellers didn't seem to understand why we were intervening. They said it was normal in their culture to celebrate a wedding like this. Moreover, the drivers thought that a wedding procession was allowed as long as the four indicator lights were on. But that is not true," the police said.
Driving licences revoked for 15 days
At the request of the Antwerp public prosecutor's office, the seven drivers' licences were immediately revoked for 15 days. 1 of the drivers was handed a charge sheet after he was found to be driving on a temporary licence without a valid escort.