Nearly 2,900 drivers were fined and over 1,000 had their driving licences revoked during a two-day operation targeting mobile phone use at the wheel in Belgium.
The operation, carried out on 7 and 8 October, involved 206 checkpoints set up across the country by federal and local police from 112 zones. Officers also conducted mobile checks under the ‘Distraction at the Wheel’ programme.
While mobile phone use was a key target, other forms of driver distraction were also addressed during the operation. Some motorists were fined for activities such as reading or applying makeup while driving, the federal police reported.
A total of 3,226 fines were issued.
Authorities expressed concern over the findings, noting that drivers continued to neglect safe behaviour behind the wheel despite prior warnings about the operation.
Studies show that distraction contributes to between 5% and 25% of road accidents, the federal police indicate.
They add that using a phone while driving triples the risk of accidents.
