Belgium carried out 20,456 checks on lorries and buses last year for compliance with driving and rest-time rules, down by almost a third from 29,190 in 2015, while the number of offences detected rose by 75% to 6,760.
The figures were obtained by Flemish parliamentary group leader Peter Van Rompuy of CD&V from federal Mobility Minister Jean-Luc Crucke of Les Engagés.
Lorry and coach drivers on European roads must comply with specific rules on driving hours, breaks and rest periods. In Belgium, enforcement is carried out by the Ministry of Mobility and Transport.
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In 2025, inspectors checked 20,456 vehicles. Offences were found in 1,618 of them, with a total of 6,760 infringements recorded.
The data show a clear trend: the number of checks has been falling steadily, while the number of offences found during successful inspections has risen for years. In 2025, the average reached 4.2 offences per vehicle found to be in breach.
Van Rompuy said checks on mandatory driving and rest times were essential for overall road safety and for ensuring a level playing field between domestic and foreign drivers.
However, he said the figures showed the number of checks had fallen to a low point and called for additional inspections.
The figures also show that foreign lorries still account for more offences than Belgian ones. In 2025, 351 Belgian vehicles were found in breach, followed by Spanish vehicles with 186, Romanian with 170 and Polish with 165.
