Traffic fines in Flanders
Aug 20th 2007, 10:53 am
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Traffic fines in Flanders
http://www.flandersnews.be/cm/flandersnews.be/News/070820_fines
Mon 20/08/07 - The daily 'Het Nieuwsblad' reports that local police
forces across Flanders are making so much money from traffic fines
that they don't know what to do with all the extra cash.
The money from traffic fines goes to a central fund that in turn
distributes the money to the various local police forces. The money is
supposed to be used to pay for measures to improve road safety.
However, big increases in the amount of revenue being drawn from
traffic fines means that many local police forces are awash with more
money than they know what to do with.
40 million euros-worth of traffic fines were issued during the whole
of 2004.
This year, with still more than four months to go, traffic fines
totalling almost 100 million have been paid.
The big increase in revenue from fines is thanks to a far higher
percentage of fines actually being paid and the big increase in the
number of roadside speed cameras.
The money is divided up according to the number of people living in a
particular area and the efforts made by local police forces to improve
road safety.
Large police forces that do a lot for road safety get the most money.
However, some forces just don't know what to do with the cash. In some
cases the police hand out cuddly toys to all children who have been
involved in a road traffic accident.
Elsewhere, safe driving is rewarded with free lottery tickets.
Voices have been raised to allow the money to be used to invest in
other areas of police work such as crime prevention and community
policing.
The Head of the local police in the West Flemish city of Bruges told
VRT radio that while money is needed for road safety and there are
still too many road traffic fatalities, in time some of the money
should be used for other aspects of police work.
Mon 20/08/07 - The daily 'Het Nieuwsblad' reports that local police
forces across Flanders are making so much money from traffic fines
that they don't know what to do with all the extra cash.
The money from traffic fines goes to a central fund that in turn
distributes the money to the various local police forces. The money is
supposed to be used to pay for measures to improve road safety.
However, big increases in the amount of revenue being drawn from
traffic fines means that many local police forces are awash with more
money than they know what to do with.
40 million euros-worth of traffic fines were issued during the whole
of 2004.
This year, with still more than four months to go, traffic fines
totalling almost 100 million have been paid.
The big increase in revenue from fines is thanks to a far higher
percentage of fines actually being paid and the big increase in the
number of roadside speed cameras.
The money is divided up according to the number of people living in a
particular area and the efforts made by local police forces to improve
road safety.
Large police forces that do a lot for road safety get the most money.
However, some forces just don't know what to do with the cash. In some
cases the police hand out cuddly toys to all children who have been
involved in a road traffic accident.
Elsewhere, safe driving is rewarded with free lottery tickets.
Voices have been raised to allow the money to be used to invest in
other areas of police work such as crime prevention and community
policing.
The Head of the local police in the West Flemish city of Bruges told
VRT radio that while money is needed for road safety and there are
still too many road traffic fatalities, in time some of the money
should be used for other aspects of police work.
