Abstract

The main objective of this study was to calculate the total amount of traffic infringements in Belgium for drunk driving, speeding, not wearing a seatbelt and handling a phone while driving. This includes both the observed as the non-observed infringements. The latter is the dark number. Calculations were based on three methodologies: self-reports and two types of observations (data collected by researchers and data collected by official authorities). The results show that the risk of being caught for speeding is much higher compared to other behaviour. For drunk driving, a Belgian driver can drive 58,000 km while being drunk. The calculations for not wearing a seatbelt are even worse: a Belgian driver can drive 80,000 unbelted km in Belgium. The results of the present study conclude that extra efforts are needed in Belgium to increase the probability of detection for all kinds of unsafe behaviour on the road.