March 29, 2022
Data from thousands of Dutch Mercedes drivers will be used to gather information on the status of roads and help to identify hazardous traffic spots. Mercedes has won a two-year contract with the Ministery of Transport and Public Works, making the info from its cars on the road readily available for the authorities and subcontractors. […]
March 28, 2022
Driving suitability center CARA, a subdivision of the traffic institute Vias, has given negative advice to 543 persons in 2021. The number corresponds to 11,6% of the 4 660 files from the Flemish region that were handled. Almost half of the people whom CARA deemed fit for driving had to make one or more adjustments […]
March 23, 2022
In a recent survey, Belgian cycling association Gracq asked 13 500 people to judge the cycling environment of their municipalities. Only two, Louvain-la-Neuve and Marche-en-Famenne, have been classed as ‘fairly favorable’. All in all, only 6% of Walloon find their local cycling conditions good, while 77% consider it to be poor or very poor. Walloon […]
March 21, 2022
Last weekend, Flemish Minister of Mobility, Lydia Peeters (Open Vld), and the Flemish Foundation for Traffic Science (Vlaamse Stichting Verkeerskunde, VSV) launched a new campaign to get more people on the bicycle. “Especially for short-distance trips,” she added. She gave the kick-off in Oudenaarde (East of Flanders). One of the figureheads of the campaign is […]
March 18, 2022
Ford is opening up its ‘secret’ Lommel Proving Ground facilities and its team of highly skilled trainers to the general public, offering basic safety up to specialist sporty driving skills courses. At €249 per person, everyone can learn to control a vehicle on a slippery surface in all kinds of conditions or how to avoid […]
March 18, 2022
By 2026, more than 600 of the 700 traffic lights installed along the regional road network in Wallonia will become smart traffic lights. The intervention should ensure that buses are given priority at intersections and that traffic flows more smoothly. On Thursday, the Walloon Government approved a contract to modernize traffic lights, announced Walloon Mobility […]
March 14, 2022
Physical aggression in traffic increases. According to traffic safety institute Vias, the number of cases tripled in five years. Last year, seven percent of drivers were confronted with it. In 2017, it was hardly 2%. General aggression, however, like swearing or calling names, declined slightly, from 57% in 2017 to 54% in 2021. Remarkable is […]
March 14, 2022
The Brussels Parliament has approved the proposal to better regulate shared e-scooters, bikes, and mopeds. The text provides compulsory parking in drop zones, reduced speed in pedestrian zones, and stricter enforcement. The latter is meant to tackle the nuisance of e-scooters lying around and the lack of safety in pedestrian zones. From now on, there […]
March 11, 2022
Flemish Minister of Mobility Lydia Peeters (Open Vld) doesn’t want a ‘refresh’ test for car drivers ten years after they’ve passed their initial driving tests. “Keeping one’s traffic knowledge up-to-date is every road user’s responsibility,” she said. Sector organization GOCA Flanders, responsible for the driver’s license exams and technical control centers, has proposed to check […]
March 07, 2022
On Sunday, Flemish Minister of Mobility, Lydia Peeters (Open Vld), announced 42 new road construction works this year along Flemish highways. More than 80 km of road surface will be replaced or renewed. Good for a €476 million investment. “Despite permanent efforts, road infrastructure in Flanders still has some catching up to do,” Minister Peeters […]
March 04, 2022
Scooter maker Segway moves into unchartered territory with the KickScooter GT2, a high-performance model not only delivering a range of 90 kilometers, but also a top speed of 70 km/hour. That’s three times the legal speed for e-scooters in Belgium. The GT2 is far from regular. Where an e-scooter usually rides on 8-inch wheels, the […]
March 04, 2022
On Wednesday, Tier Mobility, Europe’s leading shared mobility provider, announced its acquisition of Ford’s subsidiary Spin, which specialized in shared electric bikes and scooters. Through this acquisition, Tier expands into North America, becoming the largest multimodal micro-mobility operator globally in terms of number of cities and vehicles. The purchase price or other financial information about […]
March 02, 2022
Brussels Mobility wants to reorganize the Sainctelette Square and the IJzer Square that are lying side by side. Both squares should become one open space with more room and comfort for cyclists, pedestrians, and public transport. About three years ago, the Sainctelette Square was ‘declared’ Brussels’ most dangerous junction. The actual reorganization plans should alter […]
March 01, 2022
The planned test project in which the four lanes of the Brussels Belliard Street would temporarily be reduced to three lanes has been postponed for the time being. The intention of the test arrangement, which was planned during the crocus holidays, was to turn the left-hand lane into a bicycle lane. But the City of […]
February 28, 2022
Flemish Minister of Mobility, Lydia Peeters (Open Vld), is planning to reserve 300 million euros for safe and comfortable bicycle infrastructure. On top of that, she will set free 15 million euros to improve bottlenecks on regional roads, and 5 million euros for lighted crossings for cyclists and pedestrians. Another 8 million euros will be […]
February 22, 2022
The Brussels City Council has given the go-ahead to the new circulation plan for the capital’s Pentagon by a large majority. The new circulation plan aims to reduce transit traffic in the busy downtown districts and give pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport space. The intention of the alderman for Mobility Bart Dhondt’s plan is to […]
February 22, 2022
Brussels Minister of Mobility, Elke Van den Brandt (Groen), is happy with the results of the latest traffic safety barometer of traffic safety institute Vias. The number of road deaths in Brussels went down from 14 to 6, while Flanders registered an increase of 18%. “The ‘City 30′ project (30 kph speed limit in Brussels) […]
February 21, 2022
In 2021, Flanders registered 291 traffic fatalities, 45 (18%) more than in 2020. The figures come from traffic safety Intitue Vias’ most recent traffic safety barometer, developed in cooperation with the Federal Police. Vias earlier warned that Flanders had the highest number of traffic fatalities since 2016. Wallonia and Brussels, on the contrary, registered the […]
February 18, 2022
After just over a year of “Zone 30”, Brussels Mobility is launching a new road safety campaign to raise awareness of the need to respect the maximum speed limit. The new road safety campaign is a nod to cult horror films and warns drivers not to turn into monsters at the wheel, to remain relaxed […]
February 17, 2022
The Brussels Pentagon will become a low-traffic area as of 16 August. The city council has announced this. Less transit traffic should make the center more livable, accounting for no less than 42% of total traffic. The aim is to use loops, one-way streets, and traffic filters (which do not allow cars through) to ensure […]
February 15, 2022
The four traffic lanes for motorized vehicles at the Montgomery roundabout will be reduced to three. This was announced by Brussels Minister for Mobility, Elke Van den Brandt (Groen). The adjustment is part of new temporary development, while the final redevelopment of the site is discussed with the municipalities involved. The inner traffic lane of […]
February 14, 2022
The Agency for Roads and Traffic (Agentschap Wegen en Verkeer, AWV) has decided to reduce the number of traffic signs along the Flemish roads. This means that superfluous signs have to disappear and only essential signs, like those indicating the allowed maximum speed (C43), will be saved. The measure was announced a few years ago, […]
February 14, 2022
On Friday evening, a VW ID.3 caught fire in an underground parking in the center of Brussels. The firefighters managed to contain and extinguish the fire. Nobody got hurt. It turns out not to be the first case with an ID.3 in Europe, and Volkswagen is investigating. It’s not clear whether the Belgian wreck will […]
February 09, 2022
Last year, the Brussels police checked more than 33 million motorists on driving speed, and 68 568 of them were caught speeding. That is 17% more than in 2020, but the number of checks was 21% higher too. More than 30 million of all speed checks were registered by the automatic flash cameras on the […]
February 08, 2022
“Rasen ist out.” In Germany, the famous road safety quote is receiving strong political support these days. The renewed discussion on whether the German Autobahn should get speed restrictions were fuelled after Czech billionaire Radim Passer pushed his Bugatti Chiron to 417 km/hour on a stretch of highway between Berlin and Hannover. The event was […]
February 01, 2022
Dozing off at the steering wheel is as dangerous as drinking and driving. That is why the Flemish Foundation for Traffic Science (Vlaamse Stichting Verkeerskunde, VSV) launches a campaign in February to promote power napping. Sleepy drivers better pull over at the side of the road for a power nap. Half of all Flemish drivers […]
January 31, 2022
The bicycle brigade of the police zone Brussels Capital Ixelles recorded 87 757 offenses in 2021. That comes down to an average of 240 fines a day. In 2021, there were 48% fewer violations of car users of the use of bicycle paths than in 2020 and 23% fewer violations that impeded public transport. However, […]
January 28, 2022
This year, Alderman for Mobility in Liège, Gilles Foret (MR), is planning an awareness campaign for the private sector regarding secure bicycle parking facilities. He aims to push companies to swap parking spots reserved for cars to ones for bicycles. The TEC is also pushing for bicycle facilities. This Thursday, the Walloon transport company announced […]
January 27, 2022
British car drivers will be forced to use the ‘Dutch reach’ method to open one of the car doors. The new measure is one of the eleven new driving rules due to be added to the Highway Code and comes into force from Saturday. And things are getting serious across the channel: offenders pay a […]
January 26, 2022
As part of the Region’s ‘Good Move’ mobility plan, 50 zones will benefit from profound road infrastructure redesigns by 2030. Schaerbeek leads the way with around twenty streets becoming one-way, the introduction of a filter that will only allow public transport or bicycles to go through, and a complete ban on all outside cars on […]
January 26, 2022
The Agency for Roads and Traffic (Agentschap Wegen en Verkeer, AWV) has announced renovation works in the Leonard tunnel in Tervuren (Brussels). The work will start on January 31st and will take three weeks. In May, the tunnel will get a new lighting system. The Leonard tunnel is situated on the large beltway (RO) around […]
January 25, 2022
Since the corona crisis, the number of young drivers (18-34 years old) using drugs while driving increased gradually. The percentage of those who admit driving while intoxicated – at least once a month – went up from 11% to 19%. Not only drugs are a problem in traffic. Also, the combination of driving and the […]
January 24, 2022
Werkvennootschap, the Agency that manages Flemish mobility projects, will need three weekends to install a new bridge for cyclists and pedestrians over the Woluwelaan (R22) and the Brussels beltway. The new bridge will be running along with the high-speed train connection between Zaventem and Machelen-Diegem. It will offer cyclists and pedestrians a safe and comfortable, […]
January 19, 2022
The Brussels Region will soon get its own bicycle junction network. That is what the Brussels Minister for Mobility, Elke Van den Brandt (Groen), confirmed on Tuesday in the competent commission at the Parliament. Since the coronavirus outbreak, the Brussels Region has seen an 87% increase in cyclists’ numbers. “Cycling is getting more and more […]
January 18, 2022
On Monday, the Brussels Region inaugurated a 1 200-meter section of the canal cycle route or ‘cyclostrade’ linking Brussels to Boom. On the Flemish side, work on a 5 km missing link between Vilvoorde and Grimbergen has entered its final phase. The Canal Cycle Route is part of an interregional and European network of cycle […]
January 18, 2022
One thousand thirty-eight drivers are currently driving around with an alcolock in Belgium. That is what traffic institute Vias found out. It is the first time that the mark of 1 000 alcolocks has been exceeded in Belgium. In the corona year 2020, 583 alcolocks were installed, of which Vias provided the framework for 322 […]
January 17, 2022
Flemish Minister of Domestic Policy, Bart Somers (Open Vld), annuls Bonheiden’s decision to sign a public-private cooperation (Publiek-Private Samenwerking, PPS) on average speed checks. According to Somers, the contractual conditions of the private consortium TaaS (Trajectcontrole-as-a-Service) are unacceptable and at least give the impression that local autonomy will be undermined. Since February 1st, 2021, cities […]
January 14, 2022
Flanders is planning to intensify the enforcement of the passing restrictions for truckers when it rains. The Flemish authorities, therefore, want to equip 19 locations with precipitation sensors by the end of this year. They should help the police force to check on infringements. The Flemish traffic regulation stipulates that trucks of 7,5 tons or […]
January 13, 2022
Officers of the Malines police force frowned their brows seeing a man on an e-scooter passing an electronic speed billboard indicating he was doing 43 km per hour in Zone 30. The man was stopped, and the e-scooter was confiscated to be put on a test bank. There it showed the two-wheeler was capable of […]
January 04, 2022
Three liberal members of Parliament have submitted a bill for the introduction of a green courtesy light for voluntary firefighters. Jasper Pillen, Tim Vandenput, and Tania De Jonge (Open Vld) launched the idea, and are convinced that it could improve traffic safety. Fire rescue teams usually are equipped with eye-catching trucks, sirens, and rotating lights, […]
December 31, 2021
New York City has announced that it has ordered 184 fully electric Ford Mustang Mach-Es for law enforcement and emergency response workers. It also approved the option to buy 250 Tesla Model 3 electric sedans. The purchase is in line with the greening plans of the city’s fleet. New York City plans to buy more […]
December 30, 2021
The European mobility platform Bolt is planning to put all shared e-scooter activities on hold in Brussels, Ypres and Namur on New Year’s Eve as a precaution. The initiative is intended to protect road users against potentially dangerous traffic situations. New Year’s Eve is traditionally a sociable evening with a lot of amusement, good food, […]
December 30, 2021
According to recent data unveiled by the Walloon Minister of Road Safety, Valérie De Bue (MR), out of the 959 615 cars presented at the technical inspection in Wallonia between early January and late November, 25 140 were over six months overdue. Drivers had to pay a €48 surcharge. The Hainaut leads the pack with […]
December 30, 2021
The Association of parents with children who died in a traffic accident (Ouders van Verongelukte Kinderen, OVK) has launched an original action to sensitize motorists. They’re symbolically offering their children’s empty rooms on the booking.com website to draw car drivers’ attention to traffic safety. “Safety can safe lives,” the parents say. The action is intended […]
December 29, 2021
The Dutch are in lockdown again. Shops, bars, and restaurants are closed, and the Dutch are massively crossing the borders for a day out in Belgium, despite calls of the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte (VVD), the Dutch rail NS, and Antwerp governor Cathy Berx to stay home. As a consequence, traffic on roads and […]
December 28, 2021
After one year of construction works, the new bicycle bridge in Godsheide (Hasselt) has been officially opened on Monday. The bicycle bridge at the Albert Channel’s lock will be the heart of the Limburg bicycle highway network, just like the cloverleaf in Lummen does for car traffic in the province. The so-called ‘cloverleaf of bicycles’ […]
December 27, 2021
On January 1st, 2021, the Brussels Region introduced the 30 km per hour zone. One year later Brussels sees the positive effects of the measure. The average speed in the city center lowered, the number of accidents went down, and despite the lower speed, the average travel time remained almost the same. But, according to […]
December 24, 2021
Since December 2020, Tesla offers a new feature on its cars called ‘Passenger Play’. It allows passengers to play arcade games on the center screen and that even while driving. The National Highway Transport Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched an official probe in the matter, due to the road safety concern. Today, Tesla announced a new […]
December 22, 2021
The Flemish Road Safety Foundation starts a campaign for truck drivers and transport companies to raise their awareness to wear their seatbelts better and more often because research shows that there is still room for improvement. A survey by the Flemish Traffic Research Foundation (Vlaamse Stichting Verkeerskunde, VSV) among truck drivers in Flanders has shown […]
December 20, 2021
The Congressional Committee for Justice has given the green light for the creation of a central public prosecutor’s office for traffic safety. The goal is to reduce the administrative workload and to centralize the settlement of traffic fines. The text of the bill was approved by the majority parties. N-VA and PVDA abstained from voting. […]
December 16, 2021
The Flemish Foundation for Traffic Science (Vlaamse Stichting Verkeerskunde, VSV) is launching a free learning platform, called ‘MijnrijbewijsA.be’, for motorcyclists and aspiring motorcyclists. It aims to inform users of motorized two-wheelers about the safety aspects of motorcycling and the applicable traffic rules. The platform is free of charge and addressed to all interested parties. To […]
December 16, 2021
Flemish Minister of Domestic Policy, Bart Somers (Open Vld), has asked Flemish municipalities not to sign any PPS on average speed checks until further notice. Such a PPS is public-private cooperation (Publiek-Private Samenwerking, PPS) municipalities can set up to have private companies install and manage average speed checks. A recently introduced decree allows local authorities […]
December 15, 2021
On Saturday, a serious road accident involving a Tesla Model 3 taxi left one person dead and 20 injured, three of whom were seriously injured. While the taxi driver was not in service and the cause of the accident is still being investigated, Parisian taxi company G7 has decided to temporarily withdraw its 37 Tesla […]
December 15, 2021
The Mobility Commission of the Belgian federal Parliament has given the green light for more stringent rules (and higher fines) concerning the use of electronic devices (like smartphones) behind the wheel. “The current legislation dates back to the pre-smartphone era,” says MP Joris Vandenbroucke (Vooruit). “We definitely have to actualize the definition in the highway […]
December 14, 2021
The Fix My Street app, which allows you to report nuisances and defects on Brussels’ public roads and footpaths, has been expanded. From now on, pedestrians and people with reduced mobility can also report their specific problems. As announced by the Brussels Mobility public service, this update is part of the Good Move regional mobility […]
December 10, 2021
On Thursday, Brussels Mobility organized a ‘super police check’ on the right bank of the Willebroeck canal. The transversal operation joined police forces with the labor inspectorate, customs authorities, and the Federal Agency for Food Chain Safety (AFSCA/FAVV) to inspect taxis, trucks, refrigerated vans, or school buses. Out of 120 vehicles checked, two were seized, […]
December 10, 2021
Next year, Mercedes is allowed to put SAE Level 3 of autonomous driving into practice. The premium car-builder from Stuttgart has won the approval of The German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) to let its customers use the most advanced version of Drive Pilot in certain areas. In the race toward self-driving vehicles, the German […]
December 09, 2021
This week the European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP) released its latest tests of new vehicles, some brand new, others retested after a long time or a face-lift. In the latter category, the Renault Zoe scored disappointingly low this time, and the Dacia Spring didn’t do well either. When Zoe appeared on the market […]
December 09, 2021
Flanders wants to introduce a 30 kph zone for roads in town centers and residential areas, and a 50 kph limit in traffic zones. However, Flemish Minister of Mobility, Lydia Peeters (Open Vld), does not adhere to the idea of strictly imposing speed limits in built-up areas. Minister Peeters, therefore, developed a consideration frame that […]
December 06, 2021
“This time, I am BOB!” This is the slogan of the new end-of-year BOB campaign, launched by the Vias road safety institute and partners. To make people aware that too many accidents still happen under the influence of alcohol, the BOB campaign wants to make everyone aware of his or her responsibility and commit to […]
