De Wever I: ‘losing your driver license without counting points’

To improve safety on Belgian roads, the new De Wever I government plans to introduce a driver’s license system with points–without describing it in those words. Anyone who accumulates violations in the future will no longer slip through the net but will automatically be summoned to the police court.

For example, the coalition agreement states that anyone who commits more than eight speeding offenses in three years must automatically appear before the police judge.

Never implemented

For 35 years, since Jean-Luc Dehaene was Minister of Transport, the principle of a driver’s license with points has been in Belgian law. However, the system was never implemented, although it is operational today in 22 of 27 European member states. That is now changing, although it will never be called that.

The central data register spearheads the new approach. The police and judiciary will be able to identify repeat offenders much more easily for speeding violations, driving without a driver’s license or insurance, driving under the influence, talking on the phone while driving, and other similar offenses.

Aiming to change behavior

Lighter violations, which local authorities punish with a GAS fine, will also count and be registered in the databases. Eventually, the new government also wants to use unmanned cameras to catch drivers red-handed using their mobile phones.

The proposal in the coalition agreement is generally perceived positively because it aims to change behavior. It also does not target ‘the good citizen’ but the repeat offender. Yet, there are also some ‘missed opportunities,’ such as zero tolerance in traffic.

Drivers who risk being summoned will receive a warning. They will be allowed to cancel the four oldest violations by taking a road safety course and not committing any more violations for at least a year.