News item | 08-11-2022 | 12:00
In the second quarter (May to August) of 2022, 2,937,812 traffic violations were established on the basis of the Administrative Law Enforcement Traffic Regulations Act (Wahv). That is more than one percent less than in the same period a year earlier. At that time, 2,977,737 traffic fines were imposed, including for speeding, red light driving and handheld telephone use. This is apparent from the second tertial overview Wahv 2022*.
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The level of traffic violations detected in the second tertial this year is in line with the figures for the same period last year, but higher than in 2020 when the roads were quieter due to the corona pandemic.
The number of traffic violations detected with digital enforcement tools decreased slightly from 2,822,256 in 2021 in the months of May to August to 2,766,195 in the same period of 2022. The number of standing postures, on the other hand, is higher this year than last year. The number of traffic fines for a standing stop was 171,617 in the second quarter of this year, up from 155,481 in the same period in 2021.
Most offenses speed
Most traffic fines are imposed for speeding: 2,370,783 in the second quarter of 2022, compared to 2,514,616 in the same period a year earlier. The majority of these traffic violations are detected using digital enforcement tools on license plates. In the months of May to August of 2022, 1,106,284 speeding violations were detected with the aid of a speed camera, 786,637 with a section control and 430,829 with mobile radar sets.
The section checks show a decrease from 849,545 last year to 786,637 this year. The decrease is mainly visible in the section control systems on N-roads, which have been active since 2020 and 2021. Now that these checks have been in place for a while, drivers are more likely to comply with the speed limit, which improves road safety. The section checks have also been less available on certain roads due to maintenance work.
Use mobile phone in traffic
In the second quarter of this year, nearly a third more violations were found for handheld phone use compared to the same period last year. Last year 47,438 people were seen as having a mobile phone as a driver, this year it was 66,150 people. Almost a third of that number comes from cyclists (21,029). Last year it was at 16.155. The police are deploying so-called MONOcams throughout the country, which check whether a mobile device is being held behind the wheel. Also, drivers from coaches can be watched. Preventing distraction is one of the priorities in traffic enforcement.
Foreign traffic offenders
In the second tertial of 2022, 358,108 traffic fines were sent to a foreign traffic offender. That is more than the 330,867 in the same period in 2021. This may be because there are again tourists in the Netherlands after the corona pandemic.
* The four-monthly overview of the traffic fines under the Administrative Law Enforcement Traffic Regulations Act (Wahv), or Mulder Act, is compiled by the Ministry of Justice and Security, the police, the CJIB and the Public Prosecution Service.