COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Monitoring Road Safety Progress in the EU - Belgium Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Report on the Implementation of the EU Road Safety Policy Framework at the Mid-Point
Date: 2026-02-13
Institutions: Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, European Commission
Subjects: Belgium, EU investment, accident prevention, common transport policy, innovation, road safety, road transport, transport accident, transport infrastructure, transport statistics

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 13.2.2026  SWD(2026) 34 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Monitoring Road Safety Progress in the EU - Belgium Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Report on the Implementation of the EU Road Safety Policy Framework at the Mid-Point {COM(2026) 77 final} - {SWD(2026) 33 final} - {SWD(2026) 35 final} - {SWD(2026) 36 final} - {SWD(2026) 37 final} - {SWD(2026) 38 final} - {SWD(2026) 39 final} - {SWD(2026) 40 final} - {SWD(2026) 41 final} - {SWD(2026) 42 final} - {SWD(2026) 43 final} - {SWD(2026) 44 final} - {SWD(2026) 45 final} - {SWD(2026) 46 final} - {SWD(2026) 47 final} - {SWD(2026) 48 final} - {SWD(2026) 49 final} - {SWD(2026) 50 final} - {SWD(2026) 51 final} - {SWD(2026) 52 final} - {SWD(2026) 53 final} - {SWD(2026) 54 final} - {SWD(2026) 55 final} - {SWD(2026) 56 final} - {SWD(2026) 57 final} - {SWD(2026) 58 final} - {SWD(2026) 59 final}  
 
 
Contents 

1. 

2. 

2.1. 

2.2. 

2.3. 

2.4. 

3. 

3.1. 

3.2. 

4. 

4.1. 

4.2. 

4.3. 

5. 

Summary ............................................................................................................ 2 

Road Safety Strategy.......................................................................................... 3 

Road Safety Governance................................................................................ 4 

Main Safety Issues ......................................................................................... 4 

Road Safety Targets ....................................................................................... 5 

Road Safety Measures.................................................................................... 5 

Road Safety Progress ......................................................................................... 6 

Road Safety Outcomes ................................................................................... 6 

Road Safety Performance Indicators ............................................................. 9 

Monitoring Road Safety Strategy Implementation .......................................... 10 

Implementation Progress ............................................................................. 10 

Best Practices ............................................................................................... 16 

Gaps ............................................................................................................. 18 

Conclusions and Recommendations ................................................................ 19 

1 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Belgium 

1. Summary 

In  2024,  Belgium  performed  better  than  the  EU  average  (45)  with  40  road  fatalities  per 
million inhabitants. Compared to 2019, a decrease of 27% in road fatalities was achieved. In 
2024,  2,996  people  were  seriously  injured  in  road  crashes,  which  is  17%  lower  than  the 
respective figure in 2019.  

Compared to the EU average, the distribution of fatalities in Belgium shows a relatively high 
proportion of cyclist fatalities and motorway fatalities.  

Aligned with the European Commission, in the federal road safety action plan 2021-2025 of 
Belgium, the targets of halving the numbers of road fatalities and serious injuries in 2030 have 
been set. The objective is to move close to zero road deaths by 2050 at the latest. For seriously 
injured people, the objective is to reduce their number to 10% of the current figure in 2050. 
Also,  a  50%  reduction  in  risky  behaviour  (speeding,  drink-driving,  not  wearing  a  seat  belt, 
distracted mobile phone use, not wearing a helmet for powered two wheelers) is proposed as a 
target.  

The federal road safety action plan contains a series of 32 measures that will be implemented 
by the federal authorities between 2021 and 2025. This federal action plan together with the 
strategic plans of the regions has been integrated into the first inter-federal plan “All for zero 
– A shared vision of road safety in Belgium”, published in 2021.  

Based on the latest available data, in 2024, Belgium is on track to meet the 2030 target of 
halving  road  fatalities,  with  a  27%  reduction  since  2019.  On  the  contrary,  more  effort  is 
needed in order to meet the 2030 target of halving serious injuries in road crashes.  

Regarding the implementation of the road safety actions foreseen in the federal and regional 
strategies  for  the  period  2021-2023,  progress  has  been  made  in  most  road  safety  areas. 
Based  on  the  self-reported  assessment,  at  federal  level,  out  of  the  26  road  safety  areas 
examined, 10 are well on track, 2 are completed, 1 has been delayed and the remaining are not 
applicable. It is noted that in 5 out of 26 examined road safety areas of all pillars, the starting 
level in 2021 is self-assessed as medium and in 7 areas the baseline is assessed as low. The 
implementation progress of the regional action plans varies in the three regions of Brussels, 
Flanders and Wallonia.  

There  are  several  challenges  in  implementing  the  road  safety  strategy,  including  different 
competences (federal, regional, local), shortage in budget/personnel,  etc. One  common gap 
referred  by  the  national  representatives  at  both  federal  and  regional  level  concerns  the  low 
access to and information on police activities and the results of these activities. Another gap 
referred for the regions of Brussels and Wallonia is the lack of human resources, leading to 
delays in the implementation of measures in different road safety areas for the two regions.  

On the other hand, examples of best practices are available concerning further improvement 
of  data  collection  and  use  for  road  safety  purposes,  enforcement  activities  and  a  series  of 
communication campaigns, and the introduction in the region of Brussels of a 30km/h speed 
limit throughout the city, except on the main axes.  

2 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Finally, the implementation progress of the foreseen actions in Belgium is broadly on track, 
and this is reflected in the evolution of road fatalities. Still, the number of serious injuries is 
lagging behind the target set for this period. The possible way forward to address this could be 
by:  

•  supporting  the  regions  with  the  least  progress  in  the  implementation  of  the  regional 

strategic plans, 
intensifying inter-federal cooperation, 

• 
•  enhancing data sharing between road safety stakeholders (especially from police and 

insurance companies) in order to better monitor road safety progress, 

•  exploring any other relevant activities, with emphasis on those relating to the prevention 

of serious injuries. 

2.  Road Safety Strategy and Measures 

2.1. Road Safety Strategy 

The  federal  road  safety  action  plan  2021-2025  of  Belgium  is  the  federal  government's 
commitment to take the necessary measures to reduce the number of road-related injuries and 
deaths.  For  the  development  of  this  plan,  many  organisations  and  individuals  collaborated: 
experts from the federal public services (Mobility, Justice and Interior Affairs), members of 
the Federal Commission for Road Safety and the Vias Institute as well as a citizens' platform. 

This federal action plan together with the strategic plans of the regions, has been integrated 
into the first inter-federal plan “All for zero – A shared vision of road safety in Belgium”, 
published in 2021. This document reflects the shared vision and the common commitment of 
the authorities in Belgium to increase road safety. Through these plans, Belgium has committed 
to halving the number of road deaths and serious injuries by 2030 and also has adopted the 
long-term perspective of moving close to zero road deaths in road crashes by 2050. 

Table 1: Federal and regional road safety strategies  

Timeframe 

Lead Authority 

Links 

Belgium 
2021-2025 (for Brussels and Walloon region it is 2021-2030) 
Federal Public Service Mobility and Transport together with the federal 
Ministers of Mobility, Interior Affairs and Justice, for the federal plan; the 
regional authorities (MOW, AWSR, Brussels Mobility), each for their own 
plan; the Federal Public Service Mobility and Transport, together with the 
federal and regional Ministers of Mobility, for the inter-federal plan. 
Federal Plan1 
Regional Plan of Brussels2 
Regional Plan of Flanders3 
Regional Plan of Wallonia4 
Inter-federal Road Safety Plan5 

https://assets.vlaanderen.be/image/upload/v1626161661/20210709_MOW_Verkeersveiligheidsplan_Vlaanderen_2021-

1 https://all-for-zero.be/storage/minisites/plan-federal-securite-routiere.pdf 
2 https://data.mobility.brussels//media/publications/plans/pasr/LAYOUT_PARSR_FR_V06.pdf 
3 
2025_DEF_nrwbw7.pdf 
4 https://mobilit.belgium.be/fr/publications/fcvv-cfsr-22062021-plan-de-securite-routiere-wallonie 
5 
https://mobilit.belgium.be/sites/default/files/documents/publications/2023/Plan%20interf%C3%A9d%C3%A9ral%20s%C3
%A9curit%C3%A9%20routi%C3%A8re%20%C2%AB%20All%20for%20zero%20%C2%BB.pdf 

3 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2.2.  Road Safety Governance 

The Federal Ministers responsible for Mobility, Interior Affairs and Justice, and the associated 
federal public authorities, the Federal Commission for Road Safety (advisory body), the Police, 
the  Regional  Ministers  and  the  associated  public  authorities  and  advisory  bodies  (Conseil 
supérieur  Wallon  de  Sécurité  Routière,  Bruxelles  Mobilité,  Departement  Mobiliteit  en 
Openbare  Werken)  are  responsible  for  the  formulation  of  the  road  safety  strategies  in 
Belgium.  

The Federal Public Service Mobility and Transport is responsible for monitoring progress in 
the implementation of the federal road safety strategic plan. 

Regarding the monitoring of road safety developments, at a federal level, Vias is responsible 
for  developing  studies  on  road  safety,  in  response  to  an  annual  subsidy.  There  are  also  the 
statistics from the Statbel that can be used to monitor developments. 

2.3. Main Safety Issues 

Based on the analysis of road safety developments of the previous years, the following main 
safety issues have been identified for Belgium6:  

•  Deaths resulting from a single vehicle crash are the most frequent (148 deaths in 2023). 
•  When several transport modes are involved in a fatal crash, crashes involving more than 
one car, cyclists killed in a collision with a car and pedestrians killed in a collision with 
a car are the most frequent occurrences.  

•  Also, Belgium scores relatively poorly compared to other European countries in terms 

of road safety on motorways. 

In terms of behaviour: 

•  Belgium is one of the countries where drink driving is most frequently reported by 
drivers: 24% of drivers self-reported driving under the influence of alcohol at least once 
in the last 30 days in 20237. 
In the 30 km/h zone, Belgium performs poorly according to behavioural measures. The 
most recent speed measurements showed that in 2021, almost 69% of Belgian drivers 
were driving too fast in 30km/h zones8. 

• 

2.4. Road Safety Targets 

In  its  strategy,  Belgium  committed  to  halving  the  number  of  road  deaths  and  serious 
injuries in the EU by 2030 compared to the baseline scenario in 2019. The objective is to 
move close to zero road deaths by 2050 at the latest. For seriously injured people, the objective 

6 Slootmans, F. (2024). Rapport Statistique 2024 - Accidents de la route 2023, Bruxelles : Institut Vias. Available 
at:  
https://www.vias.be/publications/Statistisch%20rapport%202024%20-
%20Verkeersongevallen%202023/Rapport_statistique_2024_Accidents_de_la_route_2023.pdf  
7 “ESRA3 Thematic report Nr. 10 (E-Survey of Road users’ Attitudes): Meesmann, U., Pires, C., Wardenier, N. 
(2024). Driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs or medication. Vias institute”. Available at: 
https://www.esranet.eu/en/publications/esra3-publications/#country_fact_sheets_europe_version_2_01_2024 
8  Wardenier,  N.,  Vervoort,  M.,  Silverans,  P.,  Boets,  S.,  Ben  Messaoud,  Y.  (2023).  Mesure  nationale  de 
comportement en matière de vitesse 2021 – Bruxelles : Vias Institute. Available at: 
https://www.vias.be/publications/Nationale%20gedragsmeting%20snelheid%202021/Mesure_nationale_de_co
mportement_en_mati%C3%A8re_de_vitesse_2021.pdf 

4 

 
 
 
 
 
 
is to reduce their number to 10% of the current figure. 

Also, a 50% reduction in risky behaviour (speeding, drink-driving, not wearing a seat belt, 
distracted mobile phone use, not wearing a helmet for powered two wheelers) is proposed as a 
target. There are also additional targets in the inter-federal plan, e.g. around post-crash care, 
Belgium should be among the top 5 EU Member States. 

Table 2: Road safety targets 2030 and 2050 

Reference value 
(2019) 

Objective 2030 

Objective 2050 

644 

3,600 

<320 

<1,800 

0 

≤360 

Reduction of at least 50%  
between 2020 and 2030 

Reduction of 90% 
between 2020 and 
2050 

Number of killed people 

Number of seriously injured people (MAIS3+) 

% of drivers exceeding the speed limit 
% of drivers under the influence (blood alcohol 
level of 0.05+) 
% of drivers without seat belts 

% of drivers using a mobile phone 
% of motorized two-wheelers  
without helmets 

2.5. Road Safety Measures 

The federal road safety action plan contains a series of 32 measures that will be implemented 
by  the  federal  authorities  between  2021  and  2025.  The  measures  are  structured  into  three 
priority  fields  of  action  (1.  better  coexistence  on  the  road,  2.  risky  behaviours,  3.  control, 
sanctions, support and training), but also within the scope of strengthening of data and research 
activities and cooperation with road safety stakeholders and regions9. 

9 Plan Fédéral de Sécurité Routière, 2021-2025, available at: https://all-for-zero.be/storage/minisites/plan-
federal-securite-routiere.pdf 

5 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 3: Road safety fields of actions and number of measures of the federal action plan, 
2021-2025 

Field of Actions 

1.  Better coexistence on the road 

2.  Risky behaviours 

3.  Control, sanctions, support and training 

4.  Data and knowledge 

5.  Dynamic “All for zero” 

Total 

3.   Road Safety Progress 

3.1. Road Safety Outcomes 

Measures 

7 

7 

9 

3 

6 

32 

In Belgium, 470 people were killed and 2,996 people were seriously injured in road crashes in 
2024. Based on data for 2024, Belgium ranked 12th out of the 27 EU countries in terms of 
the lowest numbers of fatalities per million inhabitants. In fact, 40 road fatalities per million 
inhabitants were recorded that year, which is slightly below the EU average (45).  

Figure 1. Mortality rates by country, 2024 

Sources: CARE database on road crashes; population data from Eurostat (online data code demo_pjan). 

In 2024, the number of road fatalities decreased by 27% compared to 2019. Thus, in 2024, 
Belgium appears to be close to meeting the 2030 target of halving road fatalities.   

On the other hand, the number of serious injuries decreased by 17% over the period 2019-2024. 
Thus, Belgium needs to do more to meet the 2030 target of halving the number of serious 
injuries.  

6 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 2. Road fatalities and target 2030  
(Source CARE database) 10 

Figure 3. Serious road injuries  
(Source: CARE database)6 

Compared to the EU average, the distribution of fatalities in Belgium shows a relatively high 
proportion  of  cyclist  fatalities  and  motorway  fatalities11.  In  fact,  in  2024,  13%  of  fatalities 
occurred on motorways and 19% of killed people in road crashes were cyclists. The percentage 
of seriously injured cyclists is also high (31%).  

10 It is noted that the global COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on the CARE data for 2020 and 2021 for many 
European countries. Traffic volumes dropped sharply during the pandemic due to traffic restrictions, which was 
associated with a significant drop in road traffic crashes and fatalities. 
11  European  Commission  (2023),  Country  Profile  Belgium.  Road  Safety  Observatory.  Brussels,  European 
Commission, Directorate General for Transport. 

7 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
An overview of the evolution of road crash fatalities and serious injuries for the years 2019 and 
2024 (year with the latest available detailed crash data) is provided below for specific types of 
roads, crashes and road users. Overall, in Belgium, road crash fatalities and serious injuries 
declined for all groups examined.  

The highest reductions in road fatalities in 2024 were observed for motorways (47%) and 
single-vehicle crashes (46%), which are much higher than the reduction in the total number of 
road fatalities (27%). Similarly, the highest reductions in road serious injuries were recorded 
for car occupants (32%) and single vehicle crashes (34%).  

Table 4: Evolution of road fatalities, 2019-2024 

Road Crash Fatalities 

2019 

2024 

%  
in 2024 

% change 
2019-2024 

Total road fatalities 

Inside urban areas 

Outside urban areas 

Motorways 

Single vehicle crashes 

Multi vehicle crashes 

Passenger cars 

PTWs 

Cycles 

Pedestrians 

646 

214 

312 

116 

229 

335 

306 

103 

95 

92 

470 

171 

236 

61 

124 

291 

203 

67 

89 

70 

- 

36% 

50% 

13% 

26% 

62% 

43% 

14% 

19% 

15% 

-27% 

-20% 

-24% 

-47% 

-46% 

-13% 

-34% 

-35% 

-6% 

-24% 

8 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 5: Evolution of serious injuries, 2019-2024 

Serious Injuries 

Total serious injuries 

Inside urban areas 

Outside urban areas 

Motorways 

Single vehicle crashes 

Multi vehicle crashes 

Passenger cars 

PTWs 

Cycles 

Pedestrians 

2019 

3,600 

1,762 

1,473 

361 

937 

2,188 

1,252 

687 

954 

485 

2024 

2,996 

1,524 

1,210 

260 

614 

2,026 

851 

584 

916 

384 

%  
in 2024 

% change 
2019-2024 

- 

51% 

40% 

9% 

20% 

68% 

28% 

19% 

31% 

13% 

-17% 

-14% 

-18% 

-28% 

-34% 

-7% 

-32% 

-15% 

-4% 

-21% 

3.2. Road Safety Performance Indicators 

Belgium performs better than the EU average in the use of seat-belt and child restraint systems 
(CRS) among passenger car occupants, whilst helmet use among cyclists is lower. Also, self-
reported  drink-driving  is  higher  than  the  EU  average.  Regarding  vehicle  safety,  Belgian 
passenger cars are significantly younger than the EU average. 

Table 6: Road Safety Performance Indicators, 2022 -2025  
(Source: ERSO, Country Profiles) 

Speeding12 
% of passenger cars travelling within speed limits a 

Motorways 
Rural Roads 
Urban Roads 

Seat belt & CRS use rates (%) a*,b 

Front 
Rear 
Child restraint systems (roadside observations) 
Child restraint systems (in-vehicle inspections) 

Helmet use rates (%) a 

PTW driver 
PTW passenger 
Cyclist 

DUI of Alcoholc 
(self-reported) 

Belgium 

EU 

2022 

2025 

2022 

2025 

56.4 
51.8 
39.9 

93.8 
79.0 
73.3 
/ 

78.0 
61.0 
52.0 

- 
- 
- 
/ 

99.8 
100.0 
23.8 

- 
- 
30.9 

- 
- 
- 

93.1 
75.3 
67.0 
- 

97.0 
94.4 
37.8 

- 
- 
- 

92.4 
69.9 
83.3 
- 

97.6 
97.0 
34.5 

12 An EU average is not available for speeding, due to different legal speed limits among countries, which does 
not allow for a straightforward comparison.  

9 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
% of car drivers who have driven at least once in the 
last 30 days over the legal limit 

Driver Distraction a 

% of drivers not using hand-held mobile 
device/phone while driving 

Vehicle Safety 

Belgium 

2022 

19.0 

2025 

- 

EU 

2025 

11.8 

2022 

11.8 

96.8 

97.9 

94.8 

94.5 

% of new passenger cars rated with 4 EuroNCAP 
stars and above a 
Average age of passenger car fleet (years)d 

83.0 

9.8 

83.0 

9.9 

83.6 

12.3 

82.7 

12.5 

Sources: a Baseline and Trendline projects, b ETSC (2022), c ESRA3 project (2024), d ACEA (2024, 2025), Notes: 
*2025 data only for weekdays 

4. Monitoring Road Safety Strategy Implementation 

4.1. Implementation Progress 

In  Belgium,  different  road  safety  measures  have  been  set  on  a  federal  level  and  on  a 
regional level (Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia). The tables below show the implementation 
progress of the Federal Road Safety Action Plan 2021-2025. The implementation progress of 
the measures planned at regional level is also discussed. It is noted that this section is based on 
information received in early 2024. 

Road Safety Management 

Regarding the Road Safety Management pillar, Belgium starts from a medium level in the 
area of the National  Road Safety  Authority, from  a low level  in  the area  of the road safety 
legislation and from a high level in the area of the road safety observatory.  

Ten of the planned measures in the federal road safety action plan fall under this pillar. By 
the  end  of  2023,  the  implementation  of  one  measure  concerning  the  national  road  safety 
observatory  was  completed,  while  the  implementation  of  the  other  nine  measures  was  well 
underway. 

More  specifically,  in  relation  to  the  national  road  safety  authority,  the  national  public 
prosecutor's  office  on  road  safety  has  been  established  and  is  mostly  engaged  in  smaller 
national and foreign traffic violations. Also, the Federal Commission on road safety has several 
meetings on an annual basis.  

Concerning road safety legislation, the update of the Highway Code and the pre-analysis for 
the review of the sanctions are on track, while no consensus was reached for the introduction 
of a progressive penalty system to combat recidivism. 

Additionally,  yearly,  there  is  a  subsidy  granted  to  the  Vias  Institute,  via  an  agreement,  for 
research on road safety. In this research, special attention is given to the actions within the 
federal road safety plan.  

Other measures comprise the collaboration with other road safety stakeholders (Vias, Statbel, 
Centrex, etc.) for the collection of as much data as possible (e.g. hospital data, vehicle data, 

10 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KPIs, etc.), as well as meetings with regions to further improve cooperation on road safety.  

Table 7: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of federal measures related to 
road safety management (for the complementary regional measures: see text) 

B1 

Road Safety Management 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

National road safety authority 

National road safety budget 

Road safety legislation 

National road safety observatory 

Other 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 

Progress 
(2021-2023) 

medium 

- 

low 

high 

medium 

on track 

- 

on track 

completed 

on track 

At  regional  level,  in  Brussels,  the  implementation  of  measures  related  to  road  safety 
governance and road safety legislation has been completed, while the remaining measures are 
on  track.  Among  these  measures  are  the  provision  of  a  specific  budget  for  road  safety,  the 
introduction  of  a  30km/h  speed  limit  throughout  the  agglomeration  by  2021,  with  some 
exceptions at 50km/h, and the continuous monitoring of crash data. 

The  planned  measures  of  the  region  of  Flanders  concern  the  finalisation  of  the  adapted 
Flemish regulations on cargo securing, which fall within the area of road safety legislation and 
is on track. Other measures that are on track concern the publication of assessment frameworks 
on speed and the implementation of recommendations from the evaluation study on driving 
education.  

For  the  region  of  Wallonia,  the  measures  are  related  to  road  safety  governance  and 
observatory.  The implementation of the regional network hierarchy measures has not started, 
while  the  remaining  measures  are  on  track.  In  particular,  the  tools  for  the  road  safety 
observatory have been defined and tested, and the necessary budget for their development is 
pending.  

Safe Road User Behaviour 

In relation to the pillar of Safe Road User Behaviour, the federal level is assessed as medium 
in 2021 in all road safety areas, besides education. In total, 17 measures are comprised in this 
pillar, with most of them being on track. 

Regarding  enforcement,  several  measures  are  ongoing,  including  more  effective,  better-
targeted checks, measures against driving under the influence, further automation of insurance 
checks, systematic identification of offenders and facilitation of the processing of offences by 
Belgian  and  foreign  offenders.  Some  measures  that  have  been  delayed  are  related  to  driver 
distraction, improvement of the effectiveness of enforcement through the use of smart cameras 
and implementation of the procedure for suspending driving licenses when fines are not paid. 

Additionally,  legislative  procedures  to  provide  the  possibility  for  an  awareness  training 
(speed, alcohol, etc.) in case of driver disqualifications are ongoing. 

Several communication campaigns have been launched and several more will follow to raise 
awareness on road safety (e.g. campaign on e-scooters, all for zero website). 

11 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Concerning  the  VRUs,  specific  measures  are  taken  focussing  on  cyclists,  e-scooters,  etc., 
whose traffic is increasing.  

Other ongoing measures include the organisation of a broad citizen consultation in 2021, local 
projects to raise awareness on road safety issues and the development of a road safety “board 
game” in 2023. 

Table 8: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of federal measures related to 
road user behaviour (for the complementary regional measures: see text) 

B2 

Safe Road User Behaviour 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

Enforcement 

Education 

New drivers training 

Communication campaigns 

Measures for vulnerable road users 

Measures for professional drivers 

Other 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 

Progress 
(2021-2023) 

medium 

low 

- 

medium 

medium 

- 

low 

on track 

on track 

- 

on track 

on track 

- 

on track 

Based  on  the  self-reported  assessment,  in  the  region  of  Brussels  implementation  of  the 
measures related to enforcement and training of new drivers has been delayed, while measures 
in the remaining areas are on track. Among these measures are facing offences of all kinds, 
development  of  an  educational  continuum,  annual  campaigns  on  main  road  killers,  more 
targeted  actions  on  the  ground/social  networks  on  an  ongoing  basis  and  development  of 
awareness-raising aids to remind people of the traffic rules. 

In the region of Flanders implementation of the measures related to professional drivers has 
been delayed, while measures in the remaining areas are on track. Among these measures are 
new  administrative  regulations,  which  allow  the  increase  of  the  number  of  (local)  speed 
trajectory controls, continuing educational activities, together with new actions such as a flyer 
with  a  comprehensive  overview  of  the  do's  and  don'ts  for  cyclists,  reformation  of  driver's 
training based on the results of an evaluation study, regular road safety campaigns, together 
with extra initiatives in collaboration with public broadcasting services and famous singer/tv-
personalities, new initiatives to assess near crashes with the use of cameras and drones, specific 
actions  for  motorcyclists  (e.g.  yearly  day  of  the  motorcyclist),  and  different  actions  with 
regards to blind spot. 

In the region of Wallonia among the measures are sensibilisation activities about speeding, 
driving  under  influence  of  alcohol  and  drugs,  distraction  and  better  road  share  among  road 
users.  There  are  also  educational  activities  in  schools  and  for  road  users,  distribution  of 
breathalyzer terminals, specific studies on bicycle crashes.  

Safe Speeds 

Regarding the Safe Speeds pillar, at federal level, only measures related to the enforcement of 
speeding are considered. The federal level is assessed as low in this road safety area. Given the 

12 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
fact  that  this  is  mostly  a  regional  competence  one  measure  is  included  in  this  pillar,  which 
concerns the systematic reduction (or even abolition) of the quota and operational tolerance 
margins  for  speed  infractions.  The  first  phase  concerns  highways  and  the  second  phase 
concerns regional roads. It is noted however that speed is mostly a regional competence. 

Table 9: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of federal measures related to 
safe speeds (for the complementary regional measures: see text) 

B3 

Safe Speeds 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

Update of speed limits 

Enforcing speed limits 

Campaigns on speeding 

Monitoring speeding 

Other 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 

- 

low 

- 

- 

- 

Progress 
(2021-2023) 

- 

on track 

- 

- 

- 

Based on the self-reported assessment, in the region of Brussels implementation of the planned 
measures related to the update of speed limits and monitoring speeding has been completed, 
while  measures  in  the  remaining  areas  are  on  track.  Among  these  measures  is  the 
implementation of the 30km/h speed limit inside the city (on around ten roads), while the speed 
limits set at 50km/h are regularly reviewed. Also, the region is rolling out programmes for the 
deployment of fixed speed and speed/light checkpoints 
. Regular campaigns on speed are 
conducted as well. Finally, speed is monitored through annual speed measurements at 80 points 
and continuously by a dashboard displaying current speeds. 

In the region of Flanders, measures related to the update of speed limits have been planned. 
An  assessment  framework  for  speeds  within  urban  areas  is  available  to  support  local 
authorities. Regional road administration has its own assessment framework for regional roads.  
In the region of Wallonia local decisions to decrease speed limits on rural roads / tests are in 
progress  for dynamic speed limits.  Measures related to  enforcement are  on track, including 
operation of more speed cameras.  

Safe Roads 

Regarding the Safe Roads pillar, at federal level, two measures related to the city mobility and 
safety plans have been planned. This pillar is also more a regional competence than a federal 
one; thus, most measures are planned at regional level. Based on the self-reported assessment, 
Belgium starts from a low level in this area, while the measures are on track. More specifically, 
the use of bicycles within the police force has been encouraged, as well as courtesy between 
road  users.  In  addition,  several  legislative  procedures  to  improve  safety  at  crossings  are 
underway but on hold due to other priorities. 

Table 10: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of federal measures related to 
safe roads (for the complementary regional measures: see text) 

B4 

Safe Roads 

1 

2 

City mobility & safety plans 

Urban infrastructure for VRUs 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 

low 

- 

Progress 
(2021-2023) 

on track 

- 

13 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

Rural roads safety interventions 

Motorways safety management 

Road design standards 

Road safety audit and inspection 

Other 

- 

- 

- 

- 

low 

- 

- 

- 

- 

delayed 

For the region of Brussels, no roads outside urban areas exist and motorways account for less 
than  5km  of  the  regional  road  network,  thus,  no  measures  related  to  rural  roads  safety 
interventions and motorways safety management have been considered. Among the planned 
measures  are  the  implementation  and  monitoring  of  actions  under  the  Good  Move  regional 
mobility plan. Also, in relation to VRUs, an annual programme of rapid interventions has been 
drawn  up  to  make  pedestrian  crossings/school  approaches  safer,  give  credibility  to  30km/h 
lanes, make 50 km/h lanes safer, make ZCA safer (for all modes of transport), complete the 
cycle network, etc. Also, handbooks related to road safety designs exist and are being updated, 
and technical recommendations are being developed to support the 30km/h speed limit inside 
city and in school areas.  

In the region of Flanders, measures for all areas have been planned, except rural roads safety 
interventions and motorways safety management. The region starts from a medium level in all 
areas of the pillar and all measures are on track. These measures include annual campaigns on 
safety in road works, government subsidies for infrastructural measures in school environment 
on  regional  and  local  roads.  Concerning  interventions  related  to  VRUs’  safety,  measures 
related  to  providing  a  high-quality,  comfortable,  recognisable  and  forgiving  cycling 
infrastructure and pedestrian crossings are on track.  

Additionally,  125  traffic  light-controlled  intersections  were  adapted  according  to  the  action 
plan, intelligent traffic lights have been introduced through the Mobilidata program, and an 
annual  black  spot  program  is  being  executed  (and  currently  evaluated).  Also,  audits  and 
inspections are being performed on the network under directive 2019/1936, as well as audits 
'light' on the underlying road network.  

The region of Wallonia starts from a medium level in the pillar of Safe Roads. 15 measures 
are  included  in  all  areas,  except  rural  roads  safety  interventions  and  motorways  safety 
management.  All  measures  are  on  track  and  include  continuation  of  the  action  plan  for 
pedestrian  crossings  on  2X2  strip  roads,  elimination  of  visibility  mask  for  pedestrians  5m 
before all pedestrian crossing, increase in parking for two-wheelers, checking the practicability 
of pedestrian and cycle paths, intensification of the maintenance of sidewalks and cycle paths, 
introduction  of  more  20km/h  and  30km/h  zones  in  urban  areas,  diversion  plans  during 
construction sites (for active modes), quality pedestrian surfaces, improvement of the visual 
contrast  of  markings,  equipment  and  street  furniture,  development  of  temporary  pedestrian 
facilities, systematization of tactile slabs and lowering sidewalks, definition of typologies of 
road, establishment of a single repository of equipment to be placed depending on the road 
type, compliance with security criteria. 

Safe Vehicles 

In relation  to  the pillar of  Safe Vehicles, at  federal  level,  one measure is considered which 
concerns taking greater account of vehicle weight in road safety. Several (publicly available) 
studies  were  performed  by  Vias  concerning  the  link  between  vehicle  weight  and  the 

14 

 
 
 
 
 
 
consequences  for  road  users  in  a  road  crash.  It  is  noted  that  this  pillar  is  more  a  regional 
competence rather than federal; thus, most measures are planned at regional level. 

Table 11: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of federal measures related to 
safe vehicles (for the complementary regional measures: see text) 

B5 

Safe Vehicles 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

Fleet renewal 

Promotion of ADAS 

Technical vehicle inspection 

Automation preparation 

Other 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 

Progress 
(2021-2023) 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

low 

completed 

The region of Brussels has two planned measures related to fleet renewal and promotion of 
ADAS, however, their implementation has not started yet.  

In the region of Flanders, measures for the areas of promotion of ADAS and vehicle technical 
inspections have been planned. Based on the self-reported assessment, the region starts from a 
high level in the area of promotion of ADAS and from a medium level in the area of vehicle 
technical inspections. The implementation of measures of the latter area has been completed, 
with technical inspections for second-hand motorcycles and motorcycles after a crash being 
introduced.  Related  to  ADAS,  in  the  Mobilidata  program,  governments,  companies  and 
researchers work together to bring innovative technological traffic solutions to road users. 

For  the  region  of  Wallonia,  measures  related  to  vehicle  technical  inspections  are  only 
considered,  which  have  been  completed.  These  measures  concern  no  mandatory  periodic 
technical inspection for motorcycles, mandatory technical inspections in the event of resale or 
post-crash of motorcycles, formalisation of authorized modifications and development of noise 
controls for motorcycles. 

Post Crash Care 

Regarding the Post-Crash Care pillar, measures are included in the inter-federal plan. 

In the region of Brussels, the implementation of the planned measures related to post-crash 
care has not started yet.  

Table 12: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of federal measures related to 
post crash care (for the complementary regional measures: see text) 

B6 

Post Crash Care 

1 

2 

3 

Reduce EMS reaction time 

Support people injured 

Other 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 

Progress 
(2021-2023) 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

15 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.2. Best Practices 

Examples  of  best  practices  are  available  for  Belgium  at  both  federal  and  regional  level  per 
pillar: 

Road Safety Management 

At federal level: 

•  Establishment of a public prosecutor's office focused solely on road safety infractions. 
•  Further  improvement  of  data  on  seriously  injured  road  users  by  linking  police  and 

hospital data in a study with Vias. 

In the region of Brussels: 

•  Support for local authorities to draw up a road safety action plan based on the regional 

plan, subsidies to hire a person for 3 years. 

•  A specific budget has been set aside for road safety actions, to be financed by speeding 

fines. 

•  Road crash data will be made available to communities and police areas in the form of 

a dashboard. 

In the region of Flanders: 

•  Assessment Frameworks: Workbooks and vademecums on specific road safety topics 
for both road managers and road users are developed in the context of the Flemish Road 
Safety Plan 2021-2025. Assessment frameworks for speed limits inside urban areas and 
for conflict-free regulation in Flanders have been published. The assessment framework 
for pedestrian crossing facilities is currently being developed. 

Safe Road User Behaviour 

At federal level: 

•  Systematic alcohol and drug checks by police after a crash. 
•  When receiving a traffic fine for certain traffic offences, offenders receive an extra page 
with information on the related safety issues to raise awareness. In the near future, the 
offender will watch a testimonial video when paying a fine online. 

•  A free and interactive road safety "board game" was developed in which the participants 

engage in a dialogue to explore the different aspects of road safety. 

In the region of Brussels: 

•  Teaching sheets for secondary schools on speeding and blind spots (science lessons), 

driving under the influence (as part of French lessons, citizenship, etc.). 

•  An  annual  awareness-raising  schedule  is  drawn  up  on  the  basis  of  crash  data  and 

observed risk behaviour. 

•  Awareness-raising materials will be made available on a WIKI for partners who wish 

to use them. 

•  Development of road safety training for the construction industry and specifically for 

van drivers. 

In the region of Flanders: 

•  Safe  cycling  lasts  the  longest:  A  practical  guide  including  tips  and  explanations  for 

16 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
cycling more safely and with more confidence. 

•  Evaluation of revamped driving course to obtain category B licence: A study aimed at 

the evaluation of the driver training reforms implemented since 2017. 

•  Campaign on the use of mobile phone in traffic: Campaign videos on the dangers for 

using the mobile phone in traffic. 

•  Mobility  Innovative  Approach:  A  pilot  study  combining  anonymised  big  data  and 
artificial intelligence with human translation in order to proactively detect and analyse 
unsafe traffic situations. 

In the region of Wallonia: 

•  Breathalyzer terminals are lent to organizers of festive events throughout Wallonia 
•  Awareness campaigns are organised throughout the year on road safety killers. 

Safe Speeds 

In the region of Brussels: 

•  Since 2021, the speed limit has been lowered to 30km/h throughout the city, except on 

the main axes. 

•  Zero-tolerance pilot project for speeding, provision of measured speed data to prioritise 
areas  to  be  controlled,  installation  of  14  new  speed  camera  posts  in  2023,  rapid 
refurbishment of faulty speed cameras.  

•  Campaigns  on  speeding  by  putting  users  in  a  personal  situation  via  a  virtual  reality 

experience. 

•  The annual evaluation of the Ville 30, with the evolution of speeds, is communicated 

each year to the public authorities. 

In the region of Flanders: 

•  Assessment Framework for speed limits: In 2021, a new assessment framework was 
published  to  support  road  managers  in  determining  speed  limits  in  urban  areas, 
emphasising  on  the  safety  of  active  road  users.  The  assessment  framework  offers 
municipalities a handle in determining which roads are eligible for a maximum speed 
of 30 km/h. 

Safe Roads 

In the region of Brussels: 

•  Establishment of 50 neighbourhoods, where through-traffic is greatly reduced. 
•  Programme  to  neutralise  the  5m  before  crossings  without  traffic  lights  to  improve 
mutual visibility between pedestrians and drivers; all crossings on regional roads have 
been treated by 2022-2023. 

•  Development of 70 km of bike lanes. 
•  12 technical data sheets for controlling speeds in a 30 km/h town have been developed. 
•  All projects on roads in the car +, public transport + and HGV plus networks are subject 
to the audit procedure, while plans outside the procedure are subject to an opinion from 
Road Safety. 

In the region of Flanders: 

•  Campaign on road safety in work zones: Campaign videos have been published to raise 

awareness on road safety at work zones.  

17 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
•  Alternatives  to  zebra  crossings:  An  assessment  framework  for  pedestrian  crossing 
facilities  is  currently  being  developed.  Within  this  framework  alternatives  to  zebra 
crossings are proposed as safer options for pedestrian crossings to local authorities.  
•  Assessment framework for conflict-free regulation: An assessment framework has been 
published  aiming  at  making  intersections  conflict-free  by  means  of  the  traffic  light 
regulation in Flanders.  

•  High Risk Locations: A dynamic list has been developed which uses recent crash data 
in order to identify high risk locations by giving scores to road crashes depending on 
their severity and the involvement or not of vulnerable road users (pedestrians, bicycles 
and mopeds). 

•  Reporting  risk  locations:  The  Flemish  Government  has  developed  a  website  where 
citizens can find information about the road network in Flanders and report issues that 
should be addressed in specific locations. 

•  Citizens4Safety: It is an online reporting point of a city or municipality where citizens 
can report bottlenecks and dangerous traffic situations they encounter. This platform is 
also used by the local governments to provide feedback on the reports submitted by 
citizens.  

In the region of Wallonia: 

•  The website securotheque.wallonie.be provides information for road managers and all 

citizens.  

Safe Vehicles 

In the region of Flanders: 

•  Mobilidata:  Mobilidata  developed  innovative,  technological  traffic  solutions  in 
consultation  with  governments,  researchers  and  developers,  to  make  traffic  safer, 
smoother,  more  sustainable,  and  more  comfortable  for  all  road  users.  These  deliver 
many benefits, such as better route advice, tailored traffic notifications and smoother 
green lights at intelligent traffic lights. During 2023 and 2024, road users in Flanders 
were gradually able to start using all applications. 

•  Technical  inspection  of  motorcycles:  In  2023,  Flanders  introduced  the  motorcycle 
inspection, more specifically for motorcycles over 125 cc for second-hand sales and 
after a crash.  

In the region of Wallonia: 

•  Technical  inspection  of  motorcycles:  in  2023,  Wallonia  introduced  the  motorcycle 
inspection, more specifically for motorcycles over 125 cc for second-hand sales and 
after a crash. 

4.3. Gaps 

One common gap referred by the national representatives at both  federal  and regional level 
concerns the low access and information to police activities and the statistical results of 
these activities. Also, the automatic detection of traffic violations by smart cameras (e.g. detect 
the use of mobile phone while driving, safety distances) remains a difficulty, due to GDPR 
discussions.  

Another common gap referred to is the lack of human resources. In the region of Brussels, 
human resources have been reported as a gap for the implementation of measures concerning 

18 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
enforcement, new drivers training, fleet renewal, promotion of ADAS, as well as for both areas 
of the post-crash care pillar. In the region of Wallonia, the constraint of human resources is 
reported for the area of the national road safety authority.  

In addition, at federal level, no consensus was reached for the introduction of a progressive 
penalty  system  to  combat  recidivism.  Data  related  issues  are  also  reported,  and  more 
specifically,  further  cooperation  with  the  insurance  companies  is  needed  to  improve  data 
collection. Also, more data and linking (especially for crash data from various sources, such as 
hospitals, police and insurance companies) is needed to have a more detailed view on the safety 
of vulnerable road users.  

Finally,  budget  constraints  are  reported  for  the  region  of  Wallonia  concerning  the 
implementation of measures related to the road safety observatory and execution of large and 
impactful campaigns. 

5. Conclusions and Recommendations 

In the federal road safety action plan 2021-2025 of Belgium, the targets of halving the number 
of road fatalities and serious injuries by 2030 have been set. Also, a 50% reduction in risky 
behaviour is proposed as a target. In total, 32 measures are included in the federal road safety 
action plan for the period 2021-2025. 

Belgium is planning an evaluation of the plan at the end of 2025 and will then prepare a new 
plan 2026-2030. A new traffic code is foreseen for 2026.  

In 2024, Belgium, with 40 fatalities per million inhabitants, performs better than the EU on 
average in terms of fatality rates (12th out of 27 Member States in 2024). Compared to the EU 
average, the distribution of fatalities in Belgium shows a relatively high proportion of cyclist 
fatalities and fatalities occurred on motorways. 

Between 2019-2024, the number of fatalities decreased by 27%, indicating that Belgium is on 
track to meet the 2030 target of halving road fatalities. On the other hand, with a decrease 
of 17% in serious injuries over the period 2019-2024, Belgium needs to do more to meet the 
2030 target of halving serious injuries. This may be attributed to several reasons, such as the 
increased exposure of vulnerable road users (electric scooters, electric bikes, speed pedelecs, 
etc.), the increased number of SUV’s on roads, ageing population, low probability of getting 
caught by police, etc. Overall, in Belgium, road crash fatalities and serious injuries declined 
for all road user types examined, apart from cyclists.  

Regarding the implementation  of the road safety actions foreseen in  the  federal  road safety 
action plan for the period 2021-2023, progress has been made in most road safety areas. 
Based  on  the  self-reported  assessment,  at  federal  level,  out  of  the  26  road  safety  areas 
examined, 10 are well on track, 2 are completed, 1 has been delayed and the remaining are not 
applicable mainly due to the fact that these areas belong to the competence of the regions. The 
implementation progress of the regional action plans varies in the three regions of Brussels, 
Flanders and Wallonia. 

There  are  several  challenges  in  implementing  the  road  safety  strategy,  including  different 
competences  (federal,  regional,  local),  shortage  in  budget/personnel,  etc.  One  common  gap 

19 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
referred by the national representatives at both federal and regional level concerns the lack of 
complete and reliable data to base policy on. On the one hand, police data may not be complete, 
implying  under-registration.  As  for  data  owned  by  insurance  companies,  this  is  still  an 
unexplored source for in-depth research, for example. 

Finally,  the  implementation  progress  of  the  foreseen  actions  in  Belgium  is  broadly  well  on 
track,  and  this  is  reflected  in  the  evolution  of  road  fatalities.  Still,  the  number  of  serious 
injuries is currently not on target set for this period. The possible way forward to address 
this could be by:  

•  supporting  the  regions  with  the  least  progress  in  the  implementation  of  the  regional 

strategic plans, 
intensifying inter-federal cooperation, 

• 
•  enhancing data sharing between road safety stakeholders (especially from police and 

insurance companies) in order to better monitor road safety progress, 

•  exploring any other relevant activities with emphasis on those relating to the prevention 

of serious injuries. 

20