ANPR cameras lead to record number of traffic violations in Belgium

Belgian police issued 8,420,303 traffic violations last year, or 10,6% more than in 2022. That accounts for a new record. Four out of five cases involved speeding; compared to 2022, 11,8% more speeding drivers were caught.

Police attribute the rising figures to the higher number of intelligent ANPR cameras, especially the higher number of average speed checks. Also striking: In Flanders, almost three times as many speeding fines were handed out as in Wallonia.

Mostly minor offenses

A large majority (70,5%) of the drivers caught committed a minor offense and drove 1 to 10 kph too fast. Only 1,2% of drivers had a weighty foot: 85,448 were caught speeding 31 to 40 kph. 37,201 speeders (0,5%) were tearing along the road at over 40 kph too fast.

Police also attribute the high number of fines for the lightest speeding violations to the abolition of the tolerance margin. Only a technical correction to the measured speed of 6 kph or 6% for speeds over 100 kph still applies.

The chance of being caught is much higher in Flanders

In Flanders, almost three times more speeding fines were issued in 2023 than in Wallonia: 4,704,855 versus 1,708,803 – Brussels counts for 469,000. Consequently, Flanders accounts for 68% of the total.

However, of the 4,498 ANPR cameras in Belgium – ANPR stands for Automatic Number Plate Recognition – 3,656 are in Flanders versus only 626 in Wallonia, which is thus also reflected in the chances of being caught. In October last year, the federal government announced its intention to increase the number to 10,000, an investment of 28,5 million euros.

The difference per Flemish province is also remarkable. Antwerp is in the lead in terms of the number of speeding fines. There, the police flashed 1,621,499 drivers last year. East Flanders follows with 1,116,931 violations. The chances of being caught are similar in West Flanders (726,148) and Flemish Brabant (780,573). Limburg closes the list with 409,734 fines.

Men are overrepresented

Due to the ANPR cameras, the number of violations involving traffic signs has also increased sharply. The number of drivers caught violating a prohibition sign is up 42% compared to 2022. It now totals 318,676 violations. The number of breaches of signs giving an order is up 51,1%, from 13,763 in 2022 to 20,801 last year.

The number of drivers caught driving under the influence remains stable, with 41,501 alcohol violations, some 400 more than the previous year. There were also 12,636 drivers caught driving under the influence of drugs, nearly 600 more cases than in 2022. Men are overrepresented: in 80,5% of alcohol violations, the driver is a man; when it comes to drugs, even 91,2% are men.

Last year, the police also caught 114,678 drivers talking or texting behind the wheel. In 2022, there were 116,435. According to police, the slight decrease may be due to increased awareness and higher fines.