Police have now caught a motorcyclist who had committed several speeding offences over the past few weeks. When flashed by speed cameras, he would always give it the middle finger.
The City of Brussels/Ixelles police zone confirmed that a motorcyclist who had been caught speeding up to eight times on different days and in various locations has been temporarily banned from riding. He mainly was found to be speeding around Allée Verte and Quai des Usines near the Brussels Canal and on Avenue du Parc Royal at Parc de Laeken.
"Every time, he put up his middle finger to the speed camera," the police noted. In all these locations, a speed limit of 50 kilometres per hour (km/h) is in place. "The motorcyclist was driving at least 72 km/h there, with peaks of 132 km/h and 137 km/h."
Images of the motorcycle – fitted with a French number plate – and the driver were circulated by the police. Eventually, a patrol from the Traffic Directorate noticed the motorcyclist in Laeken on Tuesday 7 May.
His paperwork was not in order and his driving licence was not fit to drive a motorcycle. Additionally, he had outstanding fines amounting to €3,840 to pay. The motorcyclist's vehicle was towed and his licence was revoked for 15 days.
Persistent problem
Along with drink-driving and the use of mobile phones behind the wheel, excessive speed is one of the main causes of road accidents in Belgium: one in three fatal accidents is due to inappropriate or excessive speed.
Certain areas have long fought against so-called "rodeo" riders – people who drive around recklessly, breaking speed limits. Individual police zones, notably the City of Brussels/Ixelles police zone, have taken steps to tackle the issue, especially near the Heysel platform around the Atomium.
However, efforts appear to be fruitless, mainly due to a lack of a structural framework to curb the problem and too few resources.
