November 15, 2022
Belgian traffic safety institute Vias would like to see nitrous oxide, the so-called ‘laughing gas’, forbidden in Belgium too. The Dutch Ministry of Public Health, Welfare, and Sport recently announced that from January 1st, 2023, the aforementioned product will be on the list of banned substances. In other words, possession, sale, and use of laughing […]
November 14, 2022
All lighting systems along the Flemish highways should be equipped with LED lights by 2027, three years earlier than previously announced. Switching to LED lights would be an important money-saver. Flemish Mobility Minister Lydia Peeters (Open Vld) is willing to invest 25 million euros in it. Today, the Flemish highways are equipped with about 30 […]
November 04, 2022
Hardly three weeks after its launch, the self-riding shuttle in Hasselt has been removed from public grounds. The autonomous shuttle did not always react as it should and was considered too dangerous for public use. Three weeks ago, the city of Hasselt (Limburg, Belgium) proudly announced the introduction of a self-driving shuttle, seating seven passengers […]
October 31, 2022
The Brussels government’s eagerly awaited draft decree regulating shared bicycles and e-scooters is as good as ready. However, the text, which received a first reading on Thursday, does not yet have a political agreement. It still must be finalized with the municipalities, the operators, and the various police zones, among others. However, it does seem […]
October 27, 2022
Despite actions and sensitizing campaigns, drivers cannot resist using their smartphones at the wheel. Traffic safety institute Vias discovered that car drivers spend 2% of their time on their cell phones while driving, and van drivers even more: 4%. Truck drivers are distracted for 6% of their time by using their phones at the wheel. […]
October 26, 2022
The Good Move circulation plan in the Brussels region continues to cause a commotion. After protests, the municipality of Schaerbeek is already implementing the first modification to the circulation plan. The Interprofessional Federation of Self-Employed Entrepreneurs SDZ demands repealing the Good Move circulation plan. With its Good Move plan, Brussels wants to improve mobility in […]
October 20, 2022
Almost half of all car drivers in Belgium flatly refuse to use their blinkers when they change lanes on the highway. That is what mobility organization Touring noticed during a random sample survey on a few highways. Some Touring teams installed themselves on the bridges covering the E17, E19, E40, and the Brussels beltway. In […]
October 18, 2022
Apart from the already agreed coverings of the Antwerp beltway, the newly added covering projects from the reserve list will also be realized. They will be finalized together with the Oosterweel connection and provide more bicycle connections and greenery. That is what the Flemish Minister for Mobility, Lydia Peeters (Open Vld), announced. So, the reserve […]
October 17, 2022
Helchteren has a new bicycle bridge. On Saturday night, the 140-ton steel bridge element was lifted from the yard to the pillars on both sides of the Grote Baan (N715) in Helchteren (Limburg). Moving the 45-meter-long bridge bit by bit was no picnic. On Saturday evening at 10 p.m., the Grote Baan was closed to […]
October 17, 2022
End of 2020, Flemish Minister for Mobility Lydia Peeters (Open Vld) asked local authorities in Flanders to list dangerous traffic situations in school surroundings. Today, plans are being made for 523 (74%) of the 708 listed locations. Meanwhile, 182 situations have been improved, and 92 projects are still in the pipeline. The planned works include […]
October 13, 2022
Chinese-built cars confirm once more in the latest scorecard of Euro NCAP. With the low-priced Atto 3, BYD is joining the five-star ranking achieved by the Ora Funky Cat and the Wey Coffee 01 in the previous fifth round. These results pile up to the top scores, already begotten by compatriots Nio, Lynk & Co, […]
October 07, 2022
Two speed pedelecs crashed on Thursday in Genk (Limburg). One of them, 46-year-old David Camps, died on the spot; the second (52) was seriously injured. The accident happened on a two-directional bikeway, and both cyclists came from opposite directions. So, both ended up in a frontal collision. Flemish Minister of Mobility Lydia Peeters (Open Vld) […]
October 05, 2022
Many tunnels in Brussels are in poor condition. The Brussels government has initiated a renovation plan, but delays have shown that the predetermined deadline is no longer appropriate. However, Brussels Mobility Minister Elke Van den Brandt (Groen) reassured the Brussels Parliament’s Mobility Committee on Tuesday when discussing the evaluation report of the Multiannual Investment Plan […]
October 05, 2022
From now on, cyclists, pedestrians, and the buses of public transport company MIVB can use the Suzan Daniel bridge to cross the Brussels-Scheldt channel. The newly inaugurated bridge is an attractive shortcut between Tour & Taxis and the north district. It will be an essential element for the further development of the quarter. The new […]
October 04, 2022
The F11 bicycle highway from Antwerp to Lier is fully ready to receive cyclists. The total investment in the project is almost 17 million euros. Since the start of this legislature in 2019, Flanders has realized 210,64 km of new bicycle highways. The F11, which has a width of 4,5 meters, should be an incentive […]
September 29, 2022
If everything goes according to plan, cyclists will get a fast, safe, and comfortable bicycle connection between Brussels, Tervuren, and Louvain. The new F29 bicycle highway will be 16,5 km long and is expected to be ready by 2025. The project is part of the planned beltway constructions (‘Werken aan de Ring’) to offer cyclists […]
September 27, 2022
Every day in the European Union, more than eighteen children are seriously injured and one is killed in road traffic collisions. More than 6 000 children up to the age of 14 have died in traffic in the European Union over the last ten years. The impact of these deaths and life-changing injuries on families […]
September 26, 2022
Ghent Alderman for Mobility Filip Watteeuw (Groen) has ‘re-invented’ a new traffic sign for Belgium, getting the inspiration from Copenhagen. The new blue-white road sign indicates that cars and bikes can park alternately depending on the day’s moment. The new road sign will be valid and may be introduced in all Belgian cities and municipalities […]
September 26, 2022
Every year, bicycle use in Belgium avoids 1 294 premature deaths. At the same time, 137 717 tons of CO2 emissions are avoided because motorized traffic is replaced by bicycle trips. This is shown by a new study by road safety institute Vias. Moreover, also not insignificant when looking at the whole mobility cost picture: […]
September 21, 2022
The Flemish Institute for Logistics (Vlaams Instituut voor Logistiek, VIL) and the Hasselt University joined forces to analyze what they could do about the acute shortage of truck drivers. Together, they launched the ‘Truck Driver 4.0’ project in search of solutions for the sector. The project’s starting point was the problematic shortage of truckers, despite […]
September 20, 2022
Mobility Minister Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo) has given the go-ahead to establish so-called ‘middle lanes’. This new type of public road should ensure greater safety for vulnerable road users, especially cyclists. The adaptation of the traffic regulations will take effect from 1 October. The pressure group Cyclists Association (Fietsersbond) does not react highly enthusiastically. Initial studies […]
September 20, 2022
From 19 September, the lights go out at night on many Walloon highways. The measure comes at the initiative of the Walloon government and the administrator Sofico in response to the energy crisis, reports Walloon Energy, Mobility, and Infrastructure Minister Philippe Henry (Ecolo). Specifically, the measure involves lights on the central reservation of highways going […]
September 19, 2022
If it were up to the Open Vld, car inspection as we know it today would be dropped, and periodic vehicle inspections would be put in the hands of garage owners instead of the current (regional) government-regulated monopoly of technical centers. This was one of the propositions adopted at the annual party congress of the […]
September 16, 2022
An American Tesla-hacker called Green has unveiled that Tesla embeds special codes in its software related to the official crash tests conducted by safety organizations. It is not precisely confirmed what this special code accomplishes, but reportedly, it is related to the automatic driving functions, not the barrier tests themselves. The news broke when Green […]
September 14, 2022
Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat, one of Brussels’ busiest approach roads with the presence of several notable Belgian and EU governmental buildings, may get a two-way bike lane, separated from car traffic and pedestrians. This corresponds to the current test set-up. So reports Brussels Mobility Minister Elke Van den Brandt (Groen). The minister hopes the works […]
September 06, 2022
The Dutch Minister of Justice and Security, Dilan Yeşilgöz (VVD), is planning to increase the frequently occurring traffic offenses by almost 8,6%. The prices rise with inflation, as is the case for other products. However, some fines will not exceed the upper limit of 450 euros. What does this price rise in real terms mean? […]
September 05, 2022
In the last twelve months, the police conducted alcohol tests among more than 322 000 drivers. Almost 2,5% of 7 972 motorists tested positive. The lowest number in five years, according to traffic safety institute Vias. Still, the federal police put these results into perspective. “We’ll only be happy when the number of drunk drivers […]
September 05, 2022
AXA is joining the list of insurance companies pointing at the higher accident rate with electric cars. A probe from their Swiss department unveiled that EV drivers are 50% more involved in accidents due to inappropriate driving behavior. But ‘fake’ images of a burning Tesla, which turned out not to have a battery and the […]
August 31, 2022
The number of traffic deaths on Belgian roads increased by 39% in the first half of the year. During the first six months, 231 people died in traffic, almost as many as before the corona pandemic. The figures come from the latest traffic safety barometer, based on data from the Federal Police and recently published […]
August 26, 2022
Swedish drivers in the county of Blekinge received an odd but disturbing message on their radio screen or navigation system on Wednesday. It read: “Important traffic message. County of Blekinge. Airstrike, danger.” The Swedish traffic department Trafikverket remains puzzled over what happened but speaks of a ‘severe incident’. Blekinge county lies in the South of […]
August 26, 2022
Good visibility is essential for participating safely in traffic. We all know that. Independent research commissioned by glasses brand Pearle Opticians shows that approximately 20% of motorists and electric cyclists say they cannot see clearly when driving, even though they wear glasses or lenses. In addition, a quarter of motorists who wear glasses or lenses […]
August 26, 2022
The Walloon Road Safety Agency (AWSR) has just analyzed the first results of the breathalyzer stations installed in different establishments in Walloon Brabant since the beginning of the summer. And what turns out to be the case? 24% of people with at least 1,14 g of alcohol in their blood believe they are under the […]
August 23, 2022
In North America, Tesla is again raising the price of its Full Self Driving service (FSD), a feature making it possible for its cars to perform semi-autonomous driving. It is the second price hike this year and the add-on, which customers can buy retrograde, now costs five times more than at launch. Until September 5th, […]
August 23, 2022
The four traffic lanes in Brussels Belliard Street – which used to have five lanes – will remain permanently. This is what several French-speaking media outlets are reporting, based on a report by the Bruzz news site. However, the two ‘temporary’ cycle paths, which are enclosed by concrete blocks, will become permanent. Permission to do […]
August 22, 2022
The Belgian traffic safety institute VIAS (formerly BIVV/IBSR) will see its financial activities screened by an external audit. That has been communicated by the Federal Mobility Minister Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo) in an interview with Het Nieuwsblad. “The audit aims to be able to make an accounting and content-related distinction between the investigative and research activities […]
August 17, 2022
Veilig Verkeer Nederland (VVN), a Dutch organization dedicated to traffic safety since 1932, wants to ban devices to tune up electric bicycles. With those tuning kits, e-bikes with a normal maximum speed of 25 km/hour can be tuned up to reach speeds of 45 to 50 km/hour. “Far too dangerous”, says VVN, “especially for youngsters.” […]
August 16, 2022
A remarkable incident occurred Sunday morning on a Belgian highway past weekend. A man, sitting unconscious behind the wheel of his Renault Clio, was stopped after several fruitless attempts by a police car, only after 25 kilometers, all the time driving steadily at 80 km/h on adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assistant. On Sunday […]
August 16, 2022
In January, three liberal members of Parliament submitted a bill for the introduction of a green courtesy light for voluntary firefighters. Now, the Minister of Mobility Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo) has commissioned the traffic safety institute Vias to start a pilot project. The idea is that voluntary firefighters could use a courtesy light to let other […]
August 16, 2022
In Brussels, near Place Saincteclette, a road user was recently arrested for driving 112 km/hour on his e-scooter. He reached this speed in the Anny Cordy tunnel, during the Roller Bike Parade, which is organised every Friday evening from 10 June to 23 September. So reports La Dernière Heure. The man filmed his own ‘heroic […]
August 10, 2022
In the second quarter of 2022, the Brussels local police checked the speed of 9 758 387 drivers using fixed cameras, mobile speed cameras, and the LIDAR speed camera. Of these drivers, 19 434 were found to be driving at an illegal speed. At the section controls in the Hallepoorttunnel and the Baljuw- and Louiza-tunnel, […]
August 09, 2022
From 16 August, vehicle inspection centers in Flanders must resume their normal activities and stop accepting customers by appointment only. This is what Flemish Minister for Mobility Lydia Peeters (Open Vld) has decided. The minister is also demanding an audit of the operation and customer satisfaction of the facilities after the complaints piled up in […]
August 09, 2022
Natuurpunt, a volunteer organization protecting nature, calls citizens to register dead animals on the road via an app. This way, the organization wants to collect and analyze data about animals run over and killed in traffic. With more than five km of road per square meter, Belgium has the densest road network in Europe. But, […]
August 08, 2022
In 198 of the 300 Flemish municipalities and cities, there is at least one ‘bicycle street’. This is what Flemish Minister of Mobility, Lydia Peeters (Open Vld), announced. The concept, by which local authorities give extra visibility and space to cyclists, was made legal ten years ago after it had been tested in 2011 in […]
August 05, 2022
Last year, the police fined 12 517 cyclists for not respecting traffic regulations. In our country, an average of 34 cyclists are tagged daily. The figures come from the Ministry of Domestic Affairs. The most common infringements are the absence of lights, ignoring traffic lights, and using a cell phone while cycling. However, the police […]
August 01, 2022
The Flemish government has a design ready to reconstruct the northern part of the Brussels Ring Road. In Zaventem, the Ring Road will be given a parallel structure, where through traffic will be separated from local traffic. In Wemmel, a fourth lane will be added. In addition, the slip roads and exits will be relocated […]
July 29, 2022
Five years after the installation of the cameras in the tunnel, Brussels Mobility will restart discussions in September about the introduction of average speed checks in the Annie Cordy Tunnel, the former Leopold II tunnel, which is the longest in the country. In 2017, the then State Secretary for Traffic Safety, Bianca Debaets (CD&V), wanted […]
July 29, 2022
The Flemish government will review and adjust Flanders’ recommendations concerning bicycle infrastructure. That is what Flemish Minister of Mobility, Lydia Peeters (Open Vld), announced. The update is due to increased bicycle use and the growing popularity of other bicycle types like cargo bikes, speed pedelecs, or rickshaws. Today, the existing manual for bicycle facilities contains […]
July 28, 2022
This summer, the inner city of Hasselt will transform into a residential area with reduced traffic and a speed limit of 20 km/hour for cars and bicycles. Through traffic will be banned, but cyclists and pedestrians will be allowed to use the entire width of the public roads. In addition, parking places in the city […]
July 27, 2022
The French government has abolished the decree imposing technical control for motorbikes over 125 cc from 2023. President Emmanuel Macron is thus fulfilling his promise, even though the measure should be compulsory from this year according to a European directive. According to the French Minister for Transport, Clément Beaune, “other methods can effectively achieve the […]
July 25, 2022
Porsche recalls the Taycan again, which concerns all models including the Cross Turismo and the Sport Turismo. Worldwide, over 40 000 vehicles have been affected this time. There is a possible problem with the wiring harness under the front seats of cars built between July 2019 and May 2018. This is not the first time […]
July 19, 2022
The Flemish government will invest an extra 45 million euros in cycling highways. The money comes from the Relay Fund and is shifted within the Copenhagen Fund from the municipalities to the five Flemish provinces, which put the same amount on the table. According to Open Vld ministers Lydia Peeters and Bart Somers, respectively responsible […]
July 15, 2022
Brussels will permanently maintain all 40 kilometers of the initially ‘temporary corona bicycle paths’. This is reported by the French-language newspaper La Capital and confirmed by Brussels Mobility. Installed during the lockdown due to the Covid-19 crisis to limit the use of public transport, they will not be removed. Permit applications will be submitted in […]
July 11, 2022
After a first pilot project, all cameras on the Flemish highways will be permanently operational as of the end of August. Anyone driving 129 km/hour or more will be caught and fined. There will no longer be any margin of tolerance. The measure should improve traffic safety. “129 km/hour will become the standard on the […]
July 11, 2022
Since Friday, two new bridges over the Brussels Charleroi Canal have been officially inaugurated. On the border of Drogenbos and Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, it is the Three Fountains Bridge (Drie Fonteinenbrug). In Halle, it is the Misia Bridge, formerly known as the Zuidbrug. Thanks to the new Three Fountains Bridge, a bridge made of 600 tons of […]
July 08, 2022
In Ghent, ‘Gentspoort’ was officially launched on Thursday. With this project, which you can translate as ‘Ghent tracks’, the Flemish government wants to offer an answer to some persistent mobility bottlenecks in and around the city. For example, there will be new tram lines, and the ring road will be partly relocated, including at the […]
July 08, 2022
Just one day after Cruise was granted an official license for commercial autonomous taxi rides, one of its robocars got involved in an accident injuring multiple passengers. The crash is under investigation. According to reports, a robotaxi from Cruise took a left turn on the 3rd of June at a junction in San Francisco but […]
July 06, 2022
According to a study by Belgian traffic safety institute Vias, more than half of all parcel carriers admit – sometimes or often – driving too fast. The Vias study was commissioned by Minister Petra De Sutter (Groen). The study was intended to map the impact of parcel deliveries on mobility and traffic safety in Belgium. […]
July 06, 2022
Over two months, more specifically from May through June, approximately 1 500 driving licenses were withdrawn from car drivers in Halle-Vilvoorde who used their phones while driving. The public prosecutor’s office reported this on Tuesday in a press release. “At the time of the action, all these drivers posed a real danger to themselves and […]
July 06, 2022
The Walloon government announced on Tuesday that it has approved the Wallonia Cycling Plan 2030, which aims to make cycling possible, safe, and normal for everyone. The plan, which results from consultation with numerous partners, including cyclists’ associations, is divided into four sections on which work must progress in parallel: governance, networks & infrastructure, service […]
July 04, 2022
The Brussels Region is taking additional measures for e-scooters, such as reducing the maximum speed to 8 km/hour in certain pedestrian zones. Brussels Mobility announced this in a press release on Friday. There will also be adapted parking or drop-off zones and prohibited zones with specific road signs. Parking on the pavement is allowed if […]
