A ‘drunk’ moped rider, in the words of the police, was picked up from the A2 during the night from Saturday to Sunday. Officers happened to see the 18-year-old moped rider driving on the hard shoulder of the Best-West exit.
The traffic police saw the young man ‘accidentally’ driving on his moped on the highway around half past two at night. That’s not the intention anyway, but it got worse. He blew 605 ugl, which is equivalent to about six glasses of alcohol. That is more than twice as much as is allowed for someone who has had their driver’s license for five years.
Seven times too many
But the 18-year-old boy was of course anything but experienced and stricter standards apply to a novice driver. A maximum of 88 ugl (0.2 per mille) is permitted for this. So the moped rider had almost seven times too much.
The man’s driver’s license has been confiscated and a report is being drawn up. He must also take an alcohol and traffic course at the Central Driving License Agency.
Happens more often
In the Netherlands, thousands of people end up on the highway every year, walking, cycling or moped. A spokesperson for Rijkswaterstaat calls it life-threatening. As a cyclist or pedestrian you are a lot less visible on the highway, and an accident is just around the corner. “Drivers can also be frightened or have to swerve, which can lead to accidents,” said a Rijkswaterstaat spokesperson.
According to traffic expert at Breda University Paul van de Coevering, the causes are different. “In principle, entrance ramps to the highway clearly indicate that cyclists do not belong there. But it may also be the case that someone is mentally lost.” For example, in 2022 a confused woman crossed the A59 and the police had to use a taser to get her under control. Drugs or alcohol are often involved. For example, a drunk man was previously picked off the road while walking on the A4 near Bergen op Zoom.
Foreigners
In many of the cases, it concerns people from abroad. “In our country, highways are intended for cars, but in some countries, even within Europe, you are allowed to cycle on the highway,” says Van de Coevering. Signs or markings stating that cyclists are not welcome do not seem to do their job. “If you really assume that cycling is allowed, you are more likely to overlook a sign,” he says. “People appear to be selective in what they perceive.”