It rains fines for smartphone use in traffic and speeding

Nearly three million fines

Between May and August 2022, 2,937,812 traffic violations were detected under the Administrative Enforcement of Traffic Regulations Act (Wahv). That is more than one percent less than in the same period a year earlier. Then, 2,977,737 traffic fines were imposed, including for speeding, running a red light and handheld phone use.

“The level of traffic violations detected in the second tertiary this year is in line with the figures of the same period last year, but higher than in 2020 when it was quieter on the roads due to the corona pandemic,” the CJIB said.

Smartphone growing problem

Smartphone use in traffic from May to August this year has risen sharply. Almost a third more violations were recorded for handheld phone use compared to the same period last year. While last year 47,438 people were seen holding a cell phone as a driver, this year 66,150 were. Nearly one-third of that number came from cyclists (21,029). Last year, the figure was 16,155.

Traffic fines after a traffic stop

The number of traffic violations detected with digital enforcement tools decreased slightly from 2,822,256 in 2021 in the months of May through August to 2,766,195 in the same period of 2022. In contrast, the number of detentions this year is higher than last year. The number of traffic fines following a stop was 171,617 in the second quarter of this year, compared to 155,481 in the same period in 2021.

Most violations speed

Most traffic fines are imposed for speeding: 2,370,783 in the second quarter of 2022, up from 2,514,616 in the same period a year earlier. Most of these traffic violations are detected with digital enforcement tools by license plate.

During the months of May through August of 2022, 1,106,284 speeding violations were detected using a speed camera, 786,637 using a route control and 430,829 using mobile radar sets. Route checks saw a decline from 849,545 last year to 786,637 this year.

MONOcams

Police across the country are deploying so-called MONOcams, which are used to check for holding a mobile device behind the wheel. Drivers can also be monitored from coaches. Curbing distracted driving is one of the priorities in traffic enforcement.

Foreigners on the ticket

Foreign traffic offenders From May to August of 2022, 358,108 traffic fines were sent to a foreign traffic offender. This is more than the 330,867 in the same period in 2021. This may be because tourists are back in the Netherlands after the corona pandemic.