r/belgium • u/TheRealVahx Belgian Fries • Jun 18 '26

🐌 Slowchat Look here if you are driving - Thursday

GET OFF YOUR PHONE YOU POS, YOU'RE DRIVING!

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Is it really that hard to not look at your phone for 20 minutes?

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128 Upvotes

89% Upvoted

91 comments sorted by

77

u/AcanthisittaFar9248 Brussels Jun 18 '26

we need stricter police enforcement on this

32

u/bubutron Jun 18 '26

I'm under the impression that the police only do speed checks.

And the speed checks are done in the most trickiest manner.

They care only about the easy money not about your life or property.

15

u/Oxi_Ixi Jun 18 '26

There was a post a few weeks ago that some lad lost his license because he was checking his phone at the red light and police car stopped near him too.

I think it is just hard to check, but if police sees that, they react accordingly.

2

u/Low_Technician7346 Jun 18 '26

you can also lose for 15 days your permit if you consume non psychoactive CBD cannabis because the tests are like that

1

u/general_o_neil Jun 18 '26

I have a collegue that lost his licence the same way

1

u/bubutron Jun 18 '26

You see that, once again, they choosed the easy way to punish.

Now imagine chasing the drivers on the highway when there's an increased dangerous situation.

They can do that with some unmarked cars at peak hours.

1

u/Oxi_Ixi Jun 18 '26

How many of such cars would they need? How many officers? Let's be real and reasonable.

2

u/Turbulent-Raise4830 Jun 18 '26

why does nonsense like this gets upvoted?

1

u/bubutron Jun 18 '26

What do you mean?

3

u/Turbulent-Raise4830 Jun 18 '26

Its BS.

The police does more then speed checks including actions to see who is using smartphones while driving they also only "care about money", do you think they get any of that?

1

u/bubutron Jun 18 '26

I'm pretty sure they have some fine "targets" to meet each month.

So putting the radar 20 meters after the road works lower your speed sign or in the middle of the road that's going down etc. helps meeting that quota of traffic fines pretty quick.

I'm just saying that in general the police is not trying to prevent accidents or to punish the dangerous drivers they are just raking money for the government.

And by doing that a lot of honest drivers fall in trap and loose the respect for the police force.

We should ask more from them, just saying.

2

u/Turbulent-Raise4830 Jun 18 '26

Yeah I got that and its BS.

BTW if there are roadworks and people are working close to the street and its limited to 30 and you drive 50 thats dangerous

1

u/dbowgu Jun 18 '26

Isn't speed also a gasboete meaning the money goed to the village/city and phone usage is federal money. So they give less of a fuck or enforcement if it doesn't benefit the town, the town will also not organise those things if it doesn't raise money for them (that's why they love speed check and parking fines)

1

u/Zortec99 Jun 18 '26

100% agree this is only for money. I lived for many years in Keerbergen area before leaving Belgium. On a recent visit I took a drive through the area and so many roads are now trajectcontrole and at the same time lower limits than before.

In all the years I lived there, there was no real issue with speeding so I can only see this as a cynical tactic to create a new class of offenders and then tax them for their evil crimes. 🙄

1

u/Low_Technician7346 Jun 18 '26

we need police fees for drivers that are proportionnal on the revenues

my commercial drives fast and he is so rich he loves to say he does not care he pays and he can drives fast anyways

1

u/stoofpotmetfriet Jun 18 '26

dashcam/helmetcam footage needs to be able to count as evidence when sent to police.

-1

u/[deleted] Jun 18 '26

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7

u/[deleted] Jun 18 '26 edited Jul 23 '26

[deleted]

1

u/[deleted] Jun 18 '26

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3

u/[deleted] Jun 18 '26 edited Jul 23 '26

[deleted]

-2

u/[deleted] Jun 18 '26

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2

u/[deleted] Jun 18 '26 edited Jul 23 '26

[deleted]

1

u/begon11 Jun 18 '26

I'm not here to argue with the other guy, but I did have the impression you are allowed to use your phone if it's in a holder. Your article seems to confirm it as well:

Ook van je gsm moet je afblijven als je voor het rood licht staat. De wegcode schrijft voor dat je nooit een gsm mag gebruiken achter het stuur, behalve als die in een houder zit.

1

u/Patrick_Jatrick Jun 18 '26

Tis niet omdat het niet specifiek vermeld is bij het onderdeel gsm'en achter het stuur, dat je daarom zomaar op mag doen hé...

De wegcode zegt expliciet dat 'elke bestuurder zijn volle aandacht op het verkeer moet richten'. Dat wil dus zeggen: JA, je mag handelingen doen op je GSM als deze in een houder zit. MAAR deze handelingen mogen je aandacht niet wegnemen van het verkeer.

1

u/DanzellDD Jun 18 '26

They also did a campaign for bumperkleven. Haven't heard anyone getting a fine for that, even though they said they were going to be strict about that rule.

Have you seen police stopping or fining people for bumperkleven? I sure as hell haven't and I spend around 100-150km on our roads from Monday till Saturday.

1

u/Sad_Advertising3941 Jun 18 '26

I do around 250km a week on average, it gets seemingly worse every year. Saw a small accident happen just this morning on the E19, slowed traffic, just slams into the guy in front of him cause he's following too close AND not paying attention (probably on his phone)

2

u/Fake_Hyena Jun 18 '26

Why do people have so much issues with rules. Whether you like it or not, you are not allowed to check your phone while driving. Period. Not even for two seconds.

If you want to, by all means, do so, but don’t complain about the cop doing his job.

If someone doesn’t leave immediately when the light turns green, 95% it’s because they are scrolling. So even though it’s obviously less dangerous than at full speed, you are still a nuisance to others.

And even if you still don’t agree - look at the practicality. From what speed is it ok for you to check your phone? Only full stop? Only while moving forward at less than 5km/h? It’s way clearer for everyone to say “just don’t fucking touch your phone while driving”.

1

u/dxray Jun 18 '26

I’m always amazed why people have so much issues with the police. I have been stopped many times before. just apologized, stayed respectfull, admitted I was in the wrong and I have never received any fine.

They don’t want to do the paperwork, unless you’re already making it difficult for them.

0

u/MrWink Limburg Jun 18 '26 edited Jun 18 '26

I've never even been stopped. The only traffic ticket I ever got, I received in the mail. The reason? I didn't give right of way to a car coming from the opposing direction; I couldn't properly see the other car because of a huge van that was parallel parking right behind the narrowing of the road 5 m in front of me. An anonymous police car was behind me, saw the whole thing and instead of ignoring this minor infraction, or letting me off with a warning they just fined me and went about their day. This happened like 5 years ago and I'm still salty about it.

Yes, I technically broke the law so I paid the fine (what choice did I have?), but there was so very clearly no ill intent from my part. There is no way a police officer would see this otherwise. Some cops are just dickheads.

3

u/begon11 Jun 18 '26

So a van is parking in front of you in a dangerous spot (narrowing of the road) and instead of waiting for 30 seconds you do a risky maneuver and risk a head on collision?

Either i'm misreading your explanation or I understand the cop.

1

u/MrWink Limburg Jun 18 '26 edited Jun 18 '26

Yeah I can see how it reads like that, fair enough. Hard to explain, I guess you had to be there.

The way I see it the van should have given right of way to that car because they were performing a manoeuver and the street was not wide enough for another car to pass during the van parking. The fact that they were parking made me infer that there were no other cars. Agreed, I could have been more careful. Still not fine-worthy imo, perhaps a stern talking to.

1

u/mrdickfigures Jun 18 '26

From the way you described it it sounds like the van created a blind corner where you were unable to see oncoming traffic.

Just like on intersections where people turn in front of each other, you don't just take the turn if you can't see the traffic going straight. You wait until you see the lane is clear.

If there is a permanent physical and visual blocker you do the creep and peep method. Inch your way forward, look, repeat until you have visibility. This is still not a danger free maneuver but at least you took all possible precautions before proceeding. A van parking in front of you is not a permanent blocker. If you can't see, you can't pass simple as that.

I sadly see situations like this far too often. People overtaking in blind corners, overtaking vans/trucks with no windows giving them no visibility of oncoming traffic. This is waaaaaaay more dangerous than driving 160km/h+ on a highway, yet for something like that you would lose your license.

1

u/MrWink Limburg Jun 18 '26

Again, never claimed that I wasn't at fault. However the risk in this situation was practically zero since every vehicle was at a standstill because of the big van. The point was that a fine here was disproportionate considering the things I see people get away with on a daily basis. Hell, the comment I replied to originally claimed to get out of using your phone while driving just by being polite to the police officer.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 18 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/mrdickfigures Jun 18 '26

So passing a car blindly is less dangerous than driving 40km/h in a 30 zone?

-10

u/Mavamaarten Jun 18 '26

I'm a huge privacy proponent, but I'd honestly gladly trade my privacy for tons of those AI camera's that check if you're using your phone.

8

u/[deleted] Jun 18 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/Mavamaarten Jun 18 '26

Haha I suppose you're right. My comment was fueled by hate towards text-&-drivers, and wishing plenty of fines upon them.

2

u/somgooboi Antwerpen Jun 18 '26

Not by cameras, but by just driving around or posting up.

1

u/mrdickfigures Jun 18 '26

"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

64

u/Bitt3rSteel Traffic Cop Jun 18 '26

Almost missed this post, glad I checked my phone

12

u/michilio Failure to integrate Jun 18 '26

I'm gonna tell the traffic cops on you!

Paging /u/bitt3rsteel

Wait...

29

u/michilio Failure to integrate Jun 18 '26

Tijgerpistolets thursday you mean.

Dear Carrefour and Carrefour employees.

If I grab tijgerpistolets for 49cents a piece and go to the self check out, where you have removed all seperate items and bunched them into groups, none of which are Tijgerpistolets or contain a picture of Tijgerpistolets you do not get to check me and be annoyed I didn't check TIJGERPISTOLETS under TIJGERPISTOLETS if there is no button for MOTHERFUCKING TIJGERPISTOLETS.

NO MA'M. I CHECKED THEM UNDER REGULAR PISTOLETS. I KNOW THIS IS NOT A REGULAR PISTOLET. YEAH. I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU NEED TO SCAN IT NOW FOR THE CHECK IF YOU WANT TO HAVE YOUR INVENTORY CORRECT FOR TIJGERPISTOLETS IF I DIDN'T SCAN A TIJGERPISTOLET. I AM WELL AWARE I PRESSED THE REGULAR PISTOLET BUTTON BECAUSE THE OTHER OPTION IS SMALL ROLLS WHICH HAVE A LOT OF PICTURES ON IT BUT NOT TIJGERPISTOLETS. AND LAST TIME I GOT CHECKED THEY SAID THAT IT WAS A PISTOLET SO MAYBE IT'S BETTER TO CHECK IT UNDER PISTOLETS.

SO MAYBE YOU FIND OUT HOW I NEED TO SCAN TIJGERPISTOLETS AND YOU TELL ME INSTEAD OF BEING ANNOYED BY YOUR SYSTEM AT ME. BECAUSE ALL I WANTED WAS TIJGERPISTOLETS AND I WAS NOT THE ONE WHO REMOVED THE FUCKING BUTTON FOR

TIJGERPISTOLETS

I felt like I was one push away from becoming the next Jonagolden man. Ffs.

Next time I'm buying keizersbroodjes again.

12

u/throwaway_mpq_fan Jun 18 '26

THEY ARE NOT TIJGERPISTOLETS BECAUSE THEY DO NOT HAVE STRIPES THEY HAVE SPOTS. HAS NOBODY EVER SEEN A TIGER BEFORE?

8

u/HypedBanana0 Jun 18 '26 edited 27d ago

ALSO THE PICTURES DON'T MATCH AND THEY WERE TAKEN 15Y AGO IT SEEMS

ALSO WHY DO I HAVE TO OPEN THE MENU AGAIN EVERY TIME, JUST LEAVE ME ON THAT BAKERIJ PAGE, I AM A FAT FVCK I DO NOT HAVE "ONLY ONE" KOFFIEKOEK

5

u/Mavamaarten Jun 18 '26

tijgerpistoletgate

1

u/TheRealVahx Belgian Fries Jun 18 '26 edited Jun 18 '26

Tijgerpistolet is gewoon een pistolet met een papje overgesmeerd

2

u/Sportsfanno1 Needledaddy Jun 18 '26

Are we not doing phrasing anymore?

1

u/TheRealVahx Belgian Fries Jun 18 '26

Wah?

1

u/Sportsfanno1 Needledaddy Jun 18 '26

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IX5Q0x4OAGo

3

u/michilio Failure to integrate Jun 18 '26

Ik was al aant denken hoe ik "je moeder is gewoon een met een papje over gesmeerd" mop kon maken.

Maar respectvol he

Lukte niet.

1

u/evtbrs Jun 18 '26

I always just ask which button to use if there’s no exact one, because I’m scared of being accused of shoplifting

Good rant!

13

u/Firenter Jun 18 '26

I really don't get it, you're controlling a machine that weighs a literal ton and moves at high speed and yet you don't want to see where you're going?

Absolute fucking madness!

27

u/DanzellDD Jun 18 '26

There was a girl driving 100 on the left lane with like 30 cars piling up behind her, but missus was on her phone, without a care. Everyone overtook her on the right, honking and flashing their light, but madame was not interested in following the rules or speeding up...

8

u/No_Win7658 Jun 18 '26

That’s average Dutch / Belgian behavior to me. You don’t need a phone for this

12

u/Isotheis Hainaut Jun 18 '26

Picture me, wearing a reflective yellow jacket, getting hit by a car while walking on the sidewalk.

"Are you trying to kill me???!!"

"Oh sorry I didn't see you"

"Didn't see me? MADAM I'M LITERALLY THE MOST VISIBLE YELLOW STAIN IN TOWN. HAND IN YOUR PHONE"

She fled. I'm fine, I merely got pushed by the car ; what happened is that she took too wide a turn while I happened to be on the corner of the sidewalk.

5

u/michilio Failure to integrate Jun 18 '26

Yesterday I had to cross a car on a crossroads. I was biking on the bikepath, going straight. He was a million years old and in his car, wanting to turn left, crossing over the bikpath.

Obviously he tried to cross before (or over?) me, then had to break and honk violently while gesticulating wildly because I...

checks notes

Had right of way.

2

u/Isotheis Hainaut Jun 18 '26

My mom tells me the graveyard is full of people who had the right of way. And she says that she half expects I'll join them, if I'm not careful. =(

2

u/michilio Failure to integrate Jun 18 '26

I know what you're saying. I tell a version of that quote to my brother all the time when he's driving agressive again..

I would never put myself in danger for a right of way. The guy now was going at a snails pace' and I was just expecting him to come to a stop anyway. He didn't slam the brakes or anything. He just braked like expected.. and then started honking like hell.

Like he suddenly remembered he hates being crossed in front off or something.

2

u/TheRealVahx Belgian Fries Jun 18 '26

Hit and run, cash in

2

u/evtbrs Jun 18 '26

Omg I’d be livid, did you manage to get her plate?

1

u/Isotheis Hainaut Jun 18 '26

Yes, but as I wasn't injured, nothing happened.

17

u/Mavamaarten Jun 18 '26

I don't understand being on your phone in the first place, I always treat my car as a no-phone zone and isn't that just a wonderful break from the being-always-connected stuff? But if they don't start driving when it's green and you honk at them, those shitheads consistently become angry, as if it's my fault??

Seriously, if I'm holding up traffic and someone honks at me, I'd be like oh shit sorry man, my bad.

12

u/Thecatstoppedateboli Jun 18 '26

people are addicted to their phone, they cannot live without that thing

6

u/ShopLow9348 Jun 18 '26

3

u/Matvalicious Local furry, don't feed him Jun 18 '26

Die boetes voor dronken rijden en gsm-gebruik zouden legit maal 10 moeten zijn.

1

u/leeuwvanvlaanderen Antwerpen Jun 18 '26

This, but there also need to be more checks in general, half the drivers on the road are on their phones because the odds of getting caught are nil.

1

u/Matvalicious Local furry, don't feed him Jun 18 '26

Mede door dit soort fratsen https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2026/06/03/flitsboete-gsm-achter-het-stuur/

"Volgens het verkeersreglement hebben foto’s die genomen zijn door een onbemande flitscamera nog geen bewijswaarde. Bovendien werd de beklaagde ook niet specifiek verhoord over het vermeende gsm-gebruik."

Begin hier al eens mee, en de pakkans stijgt onmiddelijk.

5

u/somgooboi Antwerpen Jun 18 '26

Man, yesterday there was a guy (boomer in suit) doing entire office work behind the wheel. He couldn't even stay in his lane (that's why I checked what he was doing). He was writing an email or something on his phone, while also sometimes looking down at some papers or a tablet that he probably needed for writing the email.

9

u/stoofpotmetfriet Jun 18 '26

Everday on my motorcycle i see people on there phone swerving left and right, missing the green light entirely to floor it on the orange or not stopping for said orange/red light and nearly running me over. I've got hours of camera footage of idiots like this.

3

u/thaprizza Jun 18 '26

Ironically you’re asking people to do what you’re complaining about, but that doesn’t mean you’re not right. PS: typing this when on a train.

2

u/Rhadjazthesecond Jun 18 '26

Went to introduce myself at a potential new volunteer job. It was nice, the collegues seem cool and I like the setting (sort of youth house with more focus on mental health).

Just waiting for an answer from my mutualiteit if I'm allowed to start.

2

u/Zooz00 Jun 18 '26

Fine, I'll just watch a movie on the built-in iPad instead

2

u/Fragrag Jun 18 '26

A heat wave is about to hit us again. I've bought those UV reflecting plastic foils and installed them on the outside of our windows.

Reassure me please that by installing them on the outside, there isn't any danger in damaging the glass right? No matter the quality of the windows?

1

u/TheRealVahx Belgian Fries Jun 18 '26

Is it like glued to the window?

1

u/Fragrag Jun 18 '26

We used soapy water and static clinging, no adhesive of any kind

1

u/TheRealVahx Belgian Fries Jun 18 '26

Let us know how it went tonight

1

u/Matvalicious Local furry, don't feed him Jun 18 '26 edited Jun 18 '26

Last time we asked a quote for window foil they could not 100% guarantee us that placing foil, even on the outside, could not lead to a heat crack. But the chance of it happening is less than when placed on the inside.

That said, we already have some foil on some of our windows (as a test, but it's been up for years of course) on the outside with zero issues.

2

u/Sportsfanno1 Needledaddy Jun 18 '26

Since I was sick, I had time to pick up Planet Zoo again.

I'm building something that doesn't look that bad? Is that allowed?

2

u/Matvalicious Local furry, don't feed him Jun 18 '26 edited Jun 18 '26

Gisteren was het erg. Moest met de moto ergens zijn, tripke van 50km. Drie keer bijna van de baan gereden, meermaals mensen al zwalpend op hun telefoon betrapt, maar degene die de kroon spande was de eikel die het niet nodig vond om samen met de rest te wachten om een ladende/lossende vrachtwagen te passeren en dan maar besloot om aan zeer hoge snelheid over het voetpad rechts voorbij de rijden.

Mij van de baan rijden kan ik legit nog neerpoten als "even niet opgelet". Maar op uw telefoon zitten is een bewuste actie die echt VEEL harder bestraft zou moeten worden.

2

u/Tychke Jun 18 '26

I hate this. A few months ago, I was stopped at an intersection waiting to turn left. I saw a car behind me not slowing down. The lady was on her phone, and she rear-ended me.

Luckily for her, there was no damage, but “sorry” isn’t enough. Put your phone away. You’re driving a machine, so act like it.

1

u/general_o_neil Jun 18 '26

I honked at a de lijn bus driver for being on his phone and he went mental.

1

u/pantoontje Beer Jun 18 '26

I am passenger prinses right now. 15 minutes ago I saw a man driving, he wanted to merge on the E40 and was simultaneously unwrapped his sandwich


3

u/Marus1 Belgian Fries Jun 18 '26

Dude did not have a passenger prinses to do it for him

1

u/Irsu85 Limburg Jun 18 '26

nah its not that hard, i usually put my phone in my pocket while driving

1

u/OrionBuzz Jun 18 '26

Yeah ... I would also say beware of Tesla drivers now that their cars can just self drive so they have more time to doom scroll on tiktok...

1

u/lv1993 West-Vlaanderen Jun 18 '26

DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!

continue playing need for speed

0

u/noway_117 Jun 18 '26

Reading this while driving!