Few topics arouse such emotions in national debates than cars; Belgians are strongly attached to their vehicles and the tax system is organised to make having a high-spec model at your disposal much easier than it is for the average resident of other EU countries.
As well as making cars financially accessible, with many companies also paying fuel, attitudes towards driving are historically lax. The dance halls and nightclubs where Belgium developed its reputation as a hotspot for electronic music and hedonism were often situated conveniently alongside main roads outside cities.
Driving under the influence was commonplace, more naughty than taboo. Many still see drink driving as a lesser transgression, as is evidenced by the hundreds that are caught when police carry out periodic weekend campaigns.
Whilst road deaths have fallen significantly since 2000 (in 2021 Belgium numbered 45 fatalities per million, equal to the EU average), the current trend will miss the ambitious target to have zero road-related deaths by 2050.
What more could be done to improve road safety? One idea is to introduce a points system for driving licenses, as is the case in the majority of EU countries. Belgium is one of just five Member States not to have points, meaning that drivers can accumulate (lesser) offences without fear of their licence being removed.
Previous calls to introduce points have been batted away. Some have even argued that it will simply result in more people driving without a license at all – a line of reasoning that road safety organisations dispute given the heavy penalties that this would incur.
Strip away the sophistry and the ideological debate is clear: efforts to make Belgium's roads safer by clamping down on repeat offenders are running up against the notion of individual liberty. Especially vocal in their opposition to a points system is the francophone liberal party MR, whose leader happens to enjoy rally driving as a hobby.
Nonetheless, the policy is on the table for negotiations in forming a new Federal Government. Will it drive a wedge between coalition partners? Let @Orlando_tbt know.
Belgium in Brief
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1. ‘The new hype’: The epilepsy drug circulating among Brussels’ most vulnerable
Pregabalin is strongly euphoric and dissociative. It is also cheap and can be addictive, raising concerns of a public health risk similar to the opiate crisis. Read more.
2. Will Belgium finally introduce a points-based driving licence?
22 EU Member States use a points-based driving licenc but Belgium has so far opted against this system. Now, the scheme is back on the table. Read more.
3. Record holiday bookings via online platforms fuel concerns of overtourism
Platforms like Airbnb and Booking are increasingly used by "professional players buying up buildings, disrupting the local housing market as well as the hotel sector." Read more.
4. SNCB adds trains to Belgian coast on Monday and Tuesday
Forecasts predict temperatures between 21°C and 25°C on Monday, rising to a potential high of 28°C on Tuesday. Read more.
5. Club Brugge fans give neo-Nazi salute before match against Standard de Liège
An anti-racism statement before the kick-off of Sunday's game took a surprising turn after a group of visiting supporters responded with a Nazi salute. Read more.
6. Three Hainaut municipalities declare their water supply undrinkable
Tap water must be boiled for at least five minutes before consumption, the Walloon public water company stated. Read more.
7. Belgium pulls out of triathlon relay after Seine swimmer falls ill
Claire Michel was confirmed to be unwell just days after competing in the Paris Olympics women's individual triathlon race in the River Seine. Read more.
