Offenders who stop unjustly on the hard shoulder risk a fine ranging from 160 to 2000 euros.
Every year, several people lose their lives or are seriously injured on the hard shoulder along the highways. Recent data shows that the number of accidents with injuries on the hard shoulder in Flanders has varied between 2020 and 2022 over the past three years (10-30), with 5 to 10 accidents per year resulting in fatal or serious injuries.
Traffic controllers from AWV's Flemish Traffic Center notice on their camera images every day that road users use the hard shoulder incorrectly. This concerns situations in which road users use the hard shoulder to stop and urinate, to quickly get something out of the trunk, to make a telephone call or to reset their navigation. Too often they also see truck drivers who use the hard shoulder to take a break or motorists who abuse the hard shoulder to avoid traffic jams.
In response to this worrying trend, the Flemish Minister of Mobility and Public Works, Lydia Peeters, is launching the campaign “Da's bad luck but no hard shoulder” together with the Agency for Roads and Traffic (AWV). “There is a clear difference between personal inconvenience and actual car breakdown,” says Minister Peeters. “Too many people see the hard shoulder as a place for all kinds of inconveniences, such as a short stop to reset their GPS. We want to emphasize that the hard shoulder is not for everyday inconveniences, but for vehicular emergencies.”
For those who have to deal with an actual car breakdown, Minister Peeters urgently advises to park the car on the hard shoulder, to have all occupants wear a reflective vest, to place the warning triangle at a safe distance in front of the vehicle, to stand behind the crash barrier and immediately call emergency services.
The abuse of the hard shoulder is not taken lightly. Offenders who stop unjustly on the hard shoulder risk a fine ranging from 160 to 2000 euros. Driving on the hard shoulder can lead to an even heavier fine, namely between 240 and 4000 euros.
The awareness campaign will be rolled out this month by AWV on billboards along the highways, regional roads and on social media to inform and warn motorists about the dangers and fines associated with incorrect use of the hard shoulder.
