Motorists caught driving under the influence of alcohol in Belgium will automatically receive a 12-hour driving ban from July, under a legislative amendment published in the Belgian Official Gazette.
The measure was announced by the Federal Public Service Mobility and Transport and is intended to strengthen sanctions against drink-driving.
Under current rules, temporary driving bans following a positive alcohol test can range from two to 12 hours, depending on the circumstances.
The new legislation removes that flexibility and introduces a standard 12-hour ban whenever a driver is found to be above the legal alcohol limit.
According to the federal administration, the aim is to send "a strong signal that the deadly combination of driving and alcohol is no longer tolerated in our society".
The measure will apply to motor vehicles requiring a driving licence, including Class A mopeds and speed pedelecs.
The government has clarified, however, that electric scooters and electric bicycles are not covered by the automatic ban because they do not require a driving licence and do not fall within the legal definition of a motor vehicle under the amended rules.
That clarification follows a correction issued by the Federal Public Service Mobility after earlier information incorrectly suggested the ban would automatically apply to electric scooters.
Judges will nevertheless retain the power to extend a driving ban to vehicles such as electric scooters if they specifically justify doing so.
The legislative changes also affect learner drivers.
From July, holders of provisional driving licences who commit serious traffic offences may have their licence withdrawn in the same way as novice drivers who have held a licence for less than two years.
To regain their licence, they may be required to retake either the theoretical or practical driving examination.
According to the mobility administration, the change is designed to close a loophole in the current legislation, under which learner drivers were not always subject to the same licence-withdrawal rules as newly qualified motorists.
