During the Traffic Safety Day in East Flanders, 209 drivers were caught distracted behind the wheel, mostly using mobile phones, compared to 148 violations during last year’s event, according to East Flanders governor Carina Van Cauter.
The campaign was organised in response to the chain collision on the E17 in Nazareth, which occurred 30 years ago. On Friday, over 120 locations in the province were monitored by local and federal police forces, involving a total of 243 officers.
Police recorded 2,125 speeding violations during the controls. Approximately 7% of vehicles checked were speeding, and 25 drivers had their licences immediately suspended.
Alcohol checks revealed that out of 12,462 drivers tested, 22 failed breathalyser exams. This represents 0.2% of those checked, a decline from 0.4% during last year’s campaign.
Drug-related driving violations were also monitored, with 5,189 tests conducted. 25 drivers tested positive for drugs, amounting to 0.5% of those tested, a figure similar to last year. Five of these cases involved a combination of drugs and alcohol.
Additionally, 41 drivers were found without valid licences. 11 vehicles were uninsured, and 91 drivers or passengers were not wearing seatbelts.
