Traffic rules and regulations are made by the government and recorded in laws and jurisprudence. The Bureau Verkeershandhaving Openbaar Ministerie (Bureau Traffic Enforcement of the Public Prosecution Service) enforces these traffic laws, on behalf of the government.
Some of the more important traffic laws are:
People who do not obey these rules, commit an offence or a misdemeanor. This website gives information on some of the most common offences and misdemeanors.
Fact: in 2003 more than 6 million vehicles were APK approved and 38000 were condemned. The periodical vehicle check (APK) is an obligatory European safety measure to increase the safety of vehicles and to protect the environment.
Fact: By day, 2 percent of all people using highways find them unsafe.An aggressive driver is someone who operates a motor vehicle in a selfish, bold or pushy manner, without regard for the rights or safety of the other users of the streets and highways.
Fact: drinking 3 glasses of alcohol increases the risk of an accident by 100 percent..Approximately 15 percent of all casualties in traffic are caused by drink-driving. This means that every year alcohol causes 150 - 200 deaths in traffic and 3,000 4,000 hospitalised.
Fact: people driving a (light) moped are responsible for 1 percent of all mobility, but form 10 percent of all traffic deaths. Drivers and passengers of mopeds and motorcycles have an obligation to wear a crash helmet.
Fact: driving a car when you have a driving ban will cost you 255,-. When driving a vehicle which uses the public road system, you must have a valid driving license of the right category.
Fact: it has been estimated that 150,000 cars are uninsured.According to the Wet Aansprakelijkheidsverzekering Motorrijtuigen (WAM, the liability insurance for motor vehicles), every owner or holder of a motor vehicle is obligated to have insurance for this vehicle.
Fact: 8 percent of all people questioned think highways are unsafe, mostly because of poor lighting.All vehicles must have lighting, at night and in poor weather visibility inside and outside the built-up area.
Fact: the fine for driving with shoddy number plates is 65,-. The registration consists of all parts of the vehicle registration document and the number plates.
Fact: the chance of survival for a pedestrian or cyclist when in a collision with a car driving at 65km/h is 15 percent. Running a red light is one of five most frequently committed traffic offences. Running a red light can have dramatic consequences.
Fact: wearing a seatbelt reduces the chance of injury by 40 percent. If you wear a seatbelt, the risk of being injured in an accident is 40 percent lower than if you do not wear a seatbelt.