Despite Bluetooth being standard in almost every modern car, one out of eight Belgian drivers (13%) still make calls with their mobile phones in hand. This is evident from new research published by the Vias Traffic Institute, and based on a survey conducted in eleven European countries among a representative sample of the population.

Even more disturbing is that one in four Belgians sends or reads messages while driving. According to the police, cell phone use while driving remains one of the leading causes of traffic accidents. That is why the police are starting a new two-day control campaign tomorrow against mobile phone use while driving.

Ten percent of drivers even admit to participating in online work meetings while driving. And although this isn’t strictly prohibited if your phone is in a holder, Vias warns of the consequences because the impact of distraction on road safety is enormous. An estimated 50 deaths and 4,500 injuries occur annually due to distracted driving.

Distraction

Many drivers grossly underestimate the risks of distraction. People often forget that reading and typing also require cognitive effort. The figures confirm that 86 percent of drivers sometimes take their eyes off the road for more than two seconds. In built-up areas, this means driving blindly for 28 meters, almost the entire length of a basketball court.

Vias’ latest study explicitly highlights new forms of distraction, such as video streaming and online meetings in cars. The organization therefore refers to article 8.3 of the Highway Code: drivers must have control of their vehicle at all times. This is impossible if you’re driving while calling, texting, or watching videos.

‘Chance of being caught must increase’

The profile of a distracted driver? Generally, a man under 24 who drives alone, preferably on the highway, and often in Wallonia. “In 2024, more than 110,000 fines were issued across Belgium, or 300 per day,” explains Stef Willems, spokesman for Vias. “But the real problem is likely much greater.”

According to Vias, the chance of being caught must urgently increase. Maybe in Belgium, as in the Netherlands, smart cameras should be deployed to automatically catch offenders.

‘Focus flitsers’

In the Netherlands, ‘smart cameras’ or so-called ‘focus flitsers’ have been in use for some time, looking down into the cabin from above to check whether a driver is holding a device. This means that the risk of being checked is greater in places where mobile phone use while driving is most common and most dangerous. Between May and August 2025, 12,500 offenders were fined at just eleven locations.

“A Belgian working group will now investigate how we can implement this system in Belgium,” Willems continues. “The technology is autonomous: the camera takes a photo if it suspects mobile phone use, after which an officer verifies the image.” 

Anyone caught using a mobile phone while driving in Belgium will pay €184.42 and, in Flanders, will also risk having their driving licence immediately revoked for 15 days.

Checkpoints across Belgium

In any case, the Federal Highway Police, along with officers from local police zones, will be conducting additional checks for cell phone use tomorrow and Wednesday. The Federal Police announced this in a press release. 

The operation will involve 900 road police officers and colleagues from 105 local police districts across the country. At mobile and fixed checkpoints, fines will be issued for, among other things, mobile phone use while driving. Drivers who engage in activities, such as reading a book, applying mascara, watching a movie, or eating a sandwich while driving, also risk a fine.