Only 7 out of 10 foreign drivers pay their Belgian traffic fines. The Dutch, in particular, have a good record: around 86 per cent pay up. But among French drivers, the figure is considerably lower. Over the past five years, more than 1.5 million traffic fines have been issued to French nationals. Almost half of those fines remained unpaid.
Since 2021, the Belgian justice ministry has processed more than 5.3 million traffic fines for offenders from other EU countries. Of these, around 3.6 million were paid, accounting for 67 per cent. “You can’t just get away with not paying a fine,” says Edward Landtsheere, spokesperson for the Belgian justice ministry.
For offenders from outside the European Union, the number of fines is much lower. Since 2021, some 145,000 traffic fines have been recorded. Of these, less than 20 per cent have been paid.
Belgium’s neighbouring countries
It is mainly drivers from neighbouring countries who pay their Belgian traffic fines. “The Dutch are the most consistent in this regard: around 86 per cent pay their fines,” says Landtsheere. “For Luxembourgers, the figure is around 80 per cent, and for Germans, around 75 per cent.”
By way of comparison: in Belgium, the collection rate stands at around 90 per cent for offences committed by offenders who live in Belgium itself.
Important to note: the figures relate to fines issued by the Belgian authorities. If the fine is not paid, a reminder will be sent if necessary. These letters are sent in the driver’s own language. If payment is still not made, the authorities in the offender’s home country may enforce collection of the fine, for example through the tax system.
Unclear figures for France
The figures show that the collection rate for France is considerably lower. “Around half the amount of fines issued in Belgium are paid,” says Landtsheere.
“One explanation is that, in some cases involving French vehicles, we do not have sufficient data to correctly identify the offender.” As a result, fines are regularly returned because the initial information from European databases – such as the vehicle owner’s details – turns out to be incorrect.
Rest of Europe
“We see significant differences across Europe in the extent to which traffic fines from Belgium are paid,” says Landtsheere. “In Romania, only 37 per cent pay their fines; in Bulgaria, just 27 per cent.”
“Of course, you always have to compare these percentages with the number of fines. Most offences are still committed by drivers from neighbouring countries.”
‘Vision Zero’
European legislation is in place that enables the exchange of vehicle data for eight major traffic offences. A new directive or Euro law extends the number of offences to 18.
As a result, EU countries will in future be able to share information with one another regarding a wider range of traffic offences. They will also be better able to cooperate in tracking down offenders, serving official documents and collecting traffic fines.
The expansion forms part of the European ‘Vision Zero’ objective, which aims to halve the number of road deaths and serious injuries by 2030 and to bring the figure as close to zero as possible by 2050. Clearer cross-border rules are intended to ensure that drivers comply with traffic regulations even when abroad.