Van drivers in Belgium are most often distracted by their mobile phones or other screens, according to a new observational study by the traffic institute Vias. They are not fully concentrated on driving for 8% of the time, on average.
The research institute observed almost 20,000 drivers at 161 locations throughout Belgium for a month. In total, 3.7% of drivers were distracted, but for truck drivers this rose to 7% and for van drivers even to 8%. This amounts to approximately 3,200 kilometres per year that a van driver drives with their attention elsewhere while driving.
It is striking that 3.3% of van drivers held their mobile phones in their hands. Young men between the ages of 18 and 24, alone in the car and on the motorway, in particular reach for their phones more often.
Mobile phone use behind the wheel remains a persistent problem, despite the ban that was introduced exactly 25 years ago on 1 July 2000.
Every year in Belgium, around 50 people are killed and 4,500 injured due to distraction in traffic. The risk of an accident is twice as high for those who are on the phone behind the wheel and even 12 times higher for those who are texting.
Vias hopes that smart cameras that automatically detect mobile phone use behind the wheel can provide a solution – an approach that is fully supported by Mobility Minister Jean-Luc Crucke (Les Engagés).
"The danger is real, permanent and often underestimated. I fully support the use of technologies such as smart cameras to detect this risky behaviour," he said.
According to the Highway Code, a mobile phone may only be used in a holder, but even then, the driver must always keep their vehicle under control. Violations can lead to fines of up to €174 or even the withdrawal of the driving licence for 15 days.
