Motorist collects more than 60 speeding tickets with fake license plates

Local police teams from the Belgian Borinage region in Henegouwen have caught a motorist who was repeatedly flashed with fake license plates. By analyzing the plates, the police were able to trace the real license plate.

They discovered three different license plates at the driver’s home, two of which were fake. It later turned out that the driver had escaped 62 speeding violations using the forged license plates.

€5,000 fine

The man’s driver’s license was revoked for fifteen days, but he risks losing his license permanently. He may have to retake the theoretical and practical exams and will also receive a fine of around 5,000 euros.

Minister of Justice Annelies Verlinden (CD&V) has just announced in her policy statement that she will take stricter action against these traffic violations. Repeat offenders will be included in a database. Reckless drivers who cause a fatal accident will now be tried for ‘traffic manslaughter.’

Data base

In Belgium, 40,000 road victims are registered annually, of whom almost 500 die. The European objective is to have zero road deaths by 2050. Verlinden wants to tackle traffic offenders faster and more strictly and emphasizes tackling repeat offenders who commit serious violations.

The final ambition is the introduction of a fully digital driver’s license. In the future, offenders no longer have the opportunity to physically hand in their license to the police after a conviction by the court. ‘The digital withdrawal of the permit allows the judiciary to implement a driving ban much faster and more effectively.

More resources

Verlinden also wants to address prison overcrowding. She is considering renting or buying capacity abroad or using container units and is asking for more resources.

Verlinden’s question now comes right when the core cabinet is meeting about additional investments in defense. “Attention for defense is good, but we must not lose sight of domestic security,” she concludes.