Beginning 1 November, drivers caught violating a driving ban risk having their car confiscated by the state.
The provision was introduced in response to a trend of serious and fatal traffic accidents involving drivers who were already banned from driving in recent years. These confiscated cars may end up being sold at public auctions once they become property of the state.
Magistrate Dina Van Laethem expressed her support for the legislation to Flemish newspaper De Standaard, saying “The best way to deal with serious traffic offenders is to take away their toys.” She added that she already regularly orders that vehicles be seized, so the new legislation is only making the measure mandatory instead of leaving it to judicial discretion.
Van Laethem stated the legislation isn’t just meant to punish offenders, it’s also actively preventing them from getting behind a wheel again and putting other drivers and pedestrians at risk.
“We are sometimes dealing with real traffic criminals who have absolutely no respect for any traffic rule whatsoever,” she said. “If they also show no respect for a driving ban, we will soon ensure that they simply can no longer get behind the wheel by confiscating their car.”
Special exceptions can be made if the driver is driving a vehicle that isn’t theirs, like a partner's or a company vehicle. However, the presiding judge must provide justification for why they didn’t order the confiscation of a car in these scenarios.
