Belgium wants to introduce Swedish-style ‘alcohol gates’ at public locations as part of a broader crackdown on drink-driving. The system, already used in Sweden, requires drivers to pass a breath test before a barrier opens, preventing those over the limit from entering the public road network.

The federal government plans to test the technology at a public parking facility, with possible later use at car parks and major events. At the same time, Belgium will tighten the rules for novice drivers from 2027 by lowering their legal alcohol limit from 0.5 to 0.2 per mille during the first three years after obtaining a driving license.

That brings Belgium broadly into line with the Netherlands, France and Luxembourg, while Germany remains stricter with a genuine 0.0 per mille limit for young and probationary drivers.

Stricter rules

According to the Vias Institute’s most recent road safety barometer, road fatalities in the first six months of the year rose 6 percent compared with the same period last year. 

There were 223 fatalities, compared to 210 in the first six months of 2025. That is why Federal Minister of Mobility Jean-Luc Crucke announced stricter rules for novice drivers.

The trend is most negative in Wallonia (rising from 91 to 110 deaths); Flanders shows a status quo (110 to 109 deaths), while Brussels saw a decrease (9 to 4 deaths). The number of injury-causing accidents fell by 2 percent.

“The influence of alcohol is detrimental for any driver, but the risk of an accident is even greater for novice drivers due to a lack of experience and driving habits that have not yet become automatic,” emphasizes Crucke. “At a blood alcohol level of 0.5 to 0.8 per mille, the risk of an accident among 18- to 25-year-olds in our country increases roughly twice as much as it does for older drivers.”

‘Alcohol gates’

Moreover, Belgium is set to experiment with an ‘alcohol gate’ in a public parking lot. The idea draws inspiration from Sweden, where drivers arriving from certain ferries must first blow into a breathalyzer linked to a barrier; if they test positive, the barrier remains closed. 

Such an ‘alco gate’, as the Swedish call it, could be installed at the exits of certain parking garages or public events, which is much harder to organize than a check at a ferry exit.

The principle also differs from a standard alcohol check: the screening takes place before the driver actually enters the public road network. It is a matter of prevention rather than intercepting someone a few kilometers down the road.

Proven technology

The Swedish experiment started in 2013 at the Germany Terminal in Gothenburg. Around 8,700 drivers were tested there. According to an evaluation later cited by the Swedish parliament, the system operated quickly enough not to impede traffic flow significantly.

The question, of course, is whether traffic would flow as smoothly as at a ferry terminal after an event like Tomorrowland, for instance, when thousands of drivers want to leave the festival car park at the same time.

The preventive effect is particularly interesting: simply knowing one would have to take a breathalyzer test after the ferry crossing appeared to reduce the number of drivers consuming alcohol during the voyage. Since 2019, Gothenburg has been using a more permanent automatic installation. It is proven technology, but it is far from a European standard.

Interesting first

For now, there is no comparable example of automated alcohol-detection gates at public parking facilities or event venues in neighboring countries. Belgium is therefore set for an interesting first if the system is actually tested at a public event parking lot.

Incidentally, permitted alcohol levels are generally lower in the countries surrounding us. For example, the Netherlands already applies a 0.2 per mille limit for the first five years after obtaining a driver’s license.

France and Luxembourg also set the limit at 0.2 for novice drivers. Germany is even stricter: a limit of 0.0 actually applies to drivers during their probationary period and to anyone under the age of 21.

Beyond the unique ‘alcohol gate’, the Belgian government is working on other traffic safety measures, including the legislative framework for using smart cameras.

The government is also working to ensure police have access to a new, specialized rolling road tester as soon as possible to check the speed of e-scooters, e-bikes, and mopeds so that they can remove modified vehicles from traffic immediately.