‘Introduce driving licence with points and abolish shared scooters’: mobility expert Kris Peeters calls for urgent political action
‘Introduce driving licence with points and abolish shared scooters’: mobility expert Kris Peeters calls for urgent political action
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The response to the [article posted here](https://www.reddit.com/r/belgium/comments/118qafu/sad_image_from_belgian_roads_every_2_days_a_weak/) where the top comment proposes infrastructure is the main culprit. The mobility expert doesn’t even mention infrastucture as a problem but basically says “cars need to slow down more, bikes can speed up and scooters are bad.”
Translated below:
>**It is high time political decisions were made to ensure the safety of vulnerable road users. So says mobility expert Kris Peeters now that figures from traffic institute Vias show that a vulnerable road user dies in a traffic accident every two days in Belgium. “The blame is too often pinned on pedestrians and cyclists, while research shows that, for example, speed limits and a driving licence with points have an immediate effect.**
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>**”**New figures from Vias paint a bleak picture: 521 people died in road accidents in Belgium in 2022. That is an 8 per cent increase compared to 2021, when there were 484 road accident victims. 1 in 3 of them was a vulnerable road user. That means a vulnerable road user dies in traffic every two days.According to mobility expert Kris Peeters, political action must be taken as soon as possible. “I think we are past the time when we are indignant at every new statistic. We may regret it, but at some point they seem like crocodile tears. Especially when the next day we go back to business as usual and make half-hearted choices.”
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>**”Looking critically at the system”**
“The blame is very quickly placed on vulnerable road users,” says Peeters. “I have to note to my surprise that the Cyclists’ Union is somewhat on board with that. Awareness campaigns for (electric) cyclists are obviously good, but an easy choice that does little to change the bottom line.”
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>”I want a more system-critical attitude. There must be clear political choices; they are just not being made. Of course, accidents cannot be reduced to one clear cause. You have to look at the overall picture.”
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>**1. Adjust the speed limit**”
An important factor is undeniably speed, yet it remains taboo. While research shows that reducing speed clearly lowers the risk of an accident. So adjust the speed limit everywhere according to bicycle facilities and crossing facilities. That would not only be safer for vulnerable road users, but also for those in cars.”2. Require police to enforce consistently”
Secondly, enforcement needs to improve,” says Peeters. “Oblige the police to enforce consistently. Put up more signs showing the speed of cars. Most people adjust when they see they are speeding.”
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>**3. Introduce driving licence with points**
Peeters further calls for the driving licence with points to be introduced as soon as possible. “That has an immediate effect. That effect does weaken again, we know from its application abroad, but it is there. With such a driving licence, you take the rotten apples out of traffic. Those drivers you sometimes see doing things where you ask yourself how on earth that is possible.”
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>**4. Better road pricing for trucks**
“In addition, we should definitely also talk about trucks and SUVs,” Peeters says. “There is already a road pricing system for trucks, yet they can still often drive for free where it is actually dangerous, such as school neighbourhoods and village roads. There has already been an adjustment there, but several political parties are reluctant to review the situation.”
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>**5. Looking at safety of SUVs**
“Then again, SUVs are a European competence, but it is time we talked about them. Such cars are not harmless. From that height, you literally overlook people, especially children. The collision point is also higher. That is why I find it a bit crazy that they are calling on vulnerable road users to protect themselves better, while vehicles are systematically becoming more dangerous.”
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>**6. Abolish shared scooters**
Although Peeters believes that the legislation around cars should therefore be looked at above all, he also mentions the share of two-wheelers in the problem. “Steps have become very popular in a short time. They are impossible to get rid of or get rid of, but they are more dangerous than a bicycle.”
“Our roads are not made for those wheels, users fall more easily because the balance point is lower. Not to mention, scooters are also often in the way of pedestrians.”
“The rules around scooters have already been tightened , which is very good. I think the main thing we should look at there is to do away with partial steps. In Hasselt, for example, they have already done that.
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>**7. Better rules around speedpedelecs**
“In addition, you have speedpedelecs,” says Peeters. “With these, you can drive up to 45 kilometres per hour. These are basically cars on two wheels. The impact of a collision with a speedpedelec is therefore immediately much more serious. So it is very important that the regulations around speed pedelecs are also enforced and that there is a speed limit on the cycle path.”
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>**8. Increase speed limit of electric bikes**”Apart from that, you also have the problem of electric bikes. In my opinion, it would be better to raise the speed limit of electric bikes from 25 to 30 kilometres per hour. I think more people would then choose an electric bike instead of a speed pedelec anyway.”
“Besides, if electric bikes were allowed to go 30 kilometres per hour where 30 is allowed, motorists would also get less frustrated and have less of an urge to overtake cyclists.”
Edit: formatting
> “Als elektrische fietsen trouwens 30 kilometer per uur zouden mogen rijden waar 30 gereden mag worden, zouden automobilisten ook minder gefrustreerd raken en minder de drang hebben om de fietsers in te halen.”
Het is duidelijk dat Kris nog nooit op een speed pedelec heeft gereden. Ik rijd met de mijne 30-32 (op de teller) in een zone 30, op de rijbaan zoals het hoort. En nagenoeg elke automobilist vindt het nodig om mij in te halen. (Meestal ook met het nodige verwijt “HEY HET FIETSPAD IS GINDER HE!”).
Het probleem is niet de snelheid van de fietsen. Het probleem is mentaliteit.
Maar inderdaad: Dat rijbewijs met punten had er 10 jaar geleden al moeten zijn.
It’s only personal anecdote but i tend to notice a lot more 2-wheel users behaving recklessly in traffic, compared to just a few years ago. On a single 10 minute drive last week, i had a scooter ignoring priority to the right and a bike flying through a red light. I spot similar dangerous violations at least twice a week, and i don’t drive much. What do they have in common ? About 3 out of 4 times they’re delivering for Ubereats or Takeaway. Teenagers on shared e-scooters from Dott or Lime regularly seem to have a deathwish as well, not mentioning a general disregard for pedestrians. Maybe i’m a grumpy old man, maybe the road infrastructure isn’t the only, or even the main issue explaining the rise of casualties among those soft users.
I have been driving over 1000 000 km by now and I haven’t had a single accident that was my fault. I was in 2 car accidents that were other driver’s faults. But the amount of times I had to brake very hard to avoid accidents with people on bikes who did a dumb unexpected move is enormous. Especially in cities that needs to change.
You can start by enforcing the speed limit that is already there. Was in the Netherlands last weekend: the change in attitude is striking. Here 70 is 90 unless there is a trajectory control, or speed trap, than it turns to 60. There 80=80 no matter where. They probably have some speeders there too, but here they are the norm.
The enforcement will always be the problem.
Go to any crossroad in Brussels and you could write thousands in fines in an hour. But cops pass by and can’t be bothered to step out of their vehicle. You’ve taught people for decades they can just do whatever so good luck turning that back.
For a normal person, not being a fucktard is enough of a deterrent to stick to the rules. For the rest in theory it would make no sense to arrive 30seconds faster at your destination for the price of €175. But if that price isn’t there to balance their morals, they can’t care about other people on the road.
En daar zijn ze weer met hun rijbewijs met punten. Misschien eerst eens beginnen met werkelijke verkeerscontroles? Wordt quasi dagelijks ingehaald ter hoogte van kruispunten, vrachtwagens die voorbijsteken op de snelweg bij regenweer zijn schering en inslag, richtingsaanwijzers op rotondes zijn totaal niet nodig blijkbaar, effe gewoon 60 blijven rijden of het nu 50 of 70 kph is, etc. Het enige wat je gaat doen met een rijbewijs met punten is een heel pak mensen, die nu toch al voor de rechter komen, rijverbod opleggen zonder dat er een mogelijkheid is voor nuance, terwijl de werkelijke wegpiraten blijven doordoen.
The never-ending safetyism fetish of our politicians is slowly disgusting me
Speed limits are ‘taboo’? What.
Sunday morning I found a Lime scooter parked in front of my garage. I notified Lime via their Helpdesk and asked them to remove it as it blocks the way. I got a very friendly answer four (!) hours later that they notify their local team … a few hours later I sent them a reminder, and another couple of hours later I received another mail with exactly the same wording…
As of now, Wednesday 18:40, the scooter is still parked in front of the garage. My best hope now is that it’s LED turned to red, which probably indicates that it’s battery runs low, so their „juicer“ will probably pick it up soon…
I have no illusions any more about these companies even being interested in how much they annoy people with their ”laisser-faire“ attitude, they just want to make a quick buck.
If you want to ride a scooter – buy one and take good care of it!
And some tests for keeping your driving license for very old people, like they do in most other countries?
Just a simple medical check for vision and reflexes after 60s or 70s… I really think some old people could be a serious danger when driving if they are not physically well.
En zorg voor correcte fietspaden (in Brussel mag je al blij zijn als er uberhaupt eentje is, laat staan dat er geen auto over rijdt).
Laat verkeerslichten al 5 seconden groen zijn voor voetgangers en fietsers overal. Veel auto’s hebben niet door dat er anderen mogen oversteken wanneer zij afdraaien.
Daarnaast heb je speedpedelecs”, zegt Peeters. “Daarmee kun je tot 45 kilometer per uur rijden. Dat zijn eigenlijk auto’s op twee wielen
Hmmm brommers dus?
Ik snap niet wat er mis is met deelsteps. Toch handig om te gebruiken wanneer de bussen en trams niet meer rijden.
Misschien moeten er strengere regels voor zijn, maar afschaffen lijk me te ver.
Just imagine the city centre without those damn scooters everywhere.
About the license with points though, it won’t change anything. The current fines would work fine if they were actually enforced. More trajectory checking cameras and those new cameras that detect people with their phone in hand would go a long way.
On top of having a driver’s license with points, they should start with re-evaluation exams every 10 years. The shit I see people do on a daily basis is astounding. And I am not talking about traffic violations, just generally having no clue about driving.
Like sweeping to the right as they’re making a turn to the left while driving at 10 km/h. They probably saw this on Formula 1. A clear sign of a terrible fucking driver.
It’s getting worse on the roads indeed. It seems to me that since COVID people driving cars have abandoned following rules altogether. my defensive driving style has become a ultra defensive driving style.
Run the metro past midnight or expand night bus options. That’s the only real complaint I’ve had and I hyalite the scooters to get home instead of paying out my ass for an Uber/taxi.
ah is onze Kris nu mobiliteits expert
Is er iets dat hij NIET kan?
Ik rijd dagelijks voor mijn beroep aardig wat kilometers en ik kom zeer zelden flikken tegen. Laat staan flikken die iets anders doen dan hun boterhamekes opeten terwjl ze een snelheidscontrole doen van 30minuten op een of andere Vlaamse steenweg.
Mijn mede weggebruikers zullen vast wel akkoord zijn dat je op de weg in België dagelijks dingen ziet die soms levensgevaarlijk zijn.
Een rijbewijs met punten heeft slechts zin als er meer blauw op straat loopt/rijdt om te verbaliseren, en dat zal een lange-termijn project zijn want jarenlang heeft de doorsnee weggebruiker geleerd dat je echt bijna alle regels aan je laars kan lappen en nog niet gepakt worden.