{
    "title": "Higher traffic fines come into force from 1 July",
    "modified_at": "2026-06-18 10:10:21",
    "published_at": "2026-06-18 09:09:00",
    "url": "https://www.belganewsagency.eu/higher-traffic-fines-come-into-force-from-1-july",
    "short_url": "http://prez.ly/2bJd",
    "culture": "en_BE",
    "language": "EN",
    "slug": "higher-traffic-fines-come-into-force-from-1-july",
    "body": "<p style=\"text-align: left\"><strong>Traffic fines for a range of common offences, including minor speeding violations and using a mobile phone while driving, will increase from 1 July. Justice minister Annelies Verlinden \u200b confirmed the measure in an interview with Het Nieuwsblad on Thursday.</strong></p><p style=\"text-align: left\">The government is raising these fines by 10 per cent. Drivers caught slightly exceeding a 50 km/h speed limit will face a higher penalty, while the fine for using a mobile phone behind the wheel will rise to 201 euros. Drivers found just above the legal alcohol limit of 0.5 per mille will also pay more.</p><div id=\"bookmark-c0749aa4-07f0-4da0-898c-529437fef5f0\"\n     class=\"release-content-bookmark release-content-bookmark--horizontal\">\n\n            <a class=\"release-content-bookmark__thumbnail\"\n           href=\"https://www.belganewsagency.eu/traffic-offences-up-by-700000-in-two-years\"\n           rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\n           target=\"_blank\"           style=\"background-image: url(https://prezly.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.uc.assets.prezly.com%2F78478844-a147-49d2-9f57-7f43d9559cf6%2F-%2Fcrop%2F2500x1292%2F0%2C184%2F-%2Fpreview%2F-%2Fpreview%2F600x600%2F?ar=1%3A1&amp;fit=crop&amp;s=80b2998567c87d3d1493a1eed5e8ad10)\"\n        ></a>\n    \n    <div class=\"release-content-bookmark__details\">\n\n                    <a class=\"release-content-bookmark__title\"\n               href=\"https://www.belganewsagency.eu/traffic-offences-up-by-700000-in-two-years\"\n               rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\n               target=\"_blank\"               data-type=\"bookmark\"\n               data-track=\"Story WebBookmark Click\"\n               data-placement=\"content\"\n               data-id=\"c0749aa4-07f0-4da0-898c-529437fef5f0\"\n           >\n                Traffic offences up by 700,000 in two years            </a>\n        \n                    <div class=\"release-content-bookmark__description\">\n                Recorded traffic offences on Belgium\u2019s roads rose by 700,000 in 2024 compared to 2022, according to figures from the Federal Public Service...            </div>\n        \n        <a href=\"https://www.belganewsagency.eu/\"\n           target=\"_blank\"\n           rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"\n           class=\"release-content-bookmark__provider\"\n        >\n            <img class=\"release-content-bookmark__provider-icon\" src=\"https://avatars.prezly.com/favicon?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.belganewsagency.eu%2Ftraffic-offences-up-by-700000-in-two-years&newsroom=6b71e247-a9ba-4732-aaa3-88be14c119db\" aria-hidden=\"true\" />\n            belganewsagency.eu        </a>\n    </div>\n</div>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">The increase was already announced by the government at the end of last year. According to Verlinden, the higher fines are expected to generate around 50 million euros annually, with the additional revenue to be &quot;reinvested in justice&quot;.</p><p style=\"text-align: left\">The justice system is facing significant challenges, including prison overcrowding and ageing court infrastructure.</p><p style=\"text-align: left\">Traffic fines are already a major source of revenue. In 2025, police recorded more than 10 million traffic offences for the first time, equivalent to roughly 27,000 violations a day. 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    },
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        {
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        {
            "description": "Support for speed limits rising but minority still defy rules",
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        }
    ],
    "author": {
        "first_name": "Flanders",
        "last_name": "News Service"
    },
    "format_version": 5
}