Belgian police will organise a nationwide enforcement and awareness campaign against the use of mobile phones at the wheel on 10 and 11 October, the Hal-Vilvoorde public prosecutor’s office announced on Tuesday.
People caught being distracted by their smartphones risk having their licences withdrawn for 15 days. They will then have to appear before a police court, where they could be fined between €240 and €4,000 and have their licences withdrawn for up to five years, the public prosecutor’s office said.
According to the Vias Institute, the use telephones at the wheel is responsible for 8% of fatal accidents in Belgium. Vias estimates the number of people injured in non-fatal accidents at 4,500 each year.
