During the first half of this year, an average of 34 people died in road traffic accidents in Belgium every week. This is significantly more road traffic deaths than during the same period last year. The figures for the first half of 2025 are the second highest number in the last ten years. According to the Belgian Institute for Road Safety, VIAS, more people now die in road traffic accidents on weekend nights than on nights during the weekends. VIAS is calling for more checks on drinking and driving to be carry out on weekday nights.
According to figures from the Belgian road safety institute Vias that are based on statistics from the Federal Police Service, while the roads have gradually become safer on weekend nights during the past ten years, the number of road traffic fatalities on weekday nights has increased.
During the first half of this year, 34 road users died in accidents that happened during the week. This is an an increase of 78.95% on the same period last year. Meanwhile, there were 29 road traffic accident deaths during the weekends.
This is a big change on the situation a decade ago when weekday nights were significantly safer than weekend nights. According to Vias, this is due to changes in people's habits when it comes to going out.
Vias’ Stef Willems told VRT News that “Some people now go out on Wednesday and especially on Thursday evenings. This can have an impact on road safety statistics. To counteract this trend, it is we strongly advise that checks on drinking and driving are carried out on weekdays".
E-scooters
The number of accidents involving e-scooters that resulted in (serious) injury rose dramatically in the first half of 2025. During the first half of 2025 there were 1,170 accidents involving e-scooters that resulted in injury. This compares to 756 such accidents during the first half of last year.
Vias is says that the figures show that there is a need for stricter regulations for e-scooters. “The requirement to wear a crash helmet is absolutely necessary to improve road safety for e-scooter riders”, Stef Willems told VRT News.