“1 in 4 Young Drivers Use Mobile Phones While Driving: Vias Traffic Institute Survey”

Among drivers under the age of 34, almost 1 in 4 (23 percent) make a non-hands-free phone call every month, according to the survey, with a representative sample of 6,000 Belgian drivers, according to Vias. This is 9 percent for drivers between 35 and 54 years old, and 3 percent for drivers aged 55 and over.

All together this means that about 1 in 10 Belgian drivers (10 percent) make monthly calls with a mobile phone in hand. This immediately doubles the risk of an accident compared to a driver who is alert, says Vias. Getting caught making a phone call behind the wheel is subject to a fine of 174 euros, to which administrative costs must also be added.

21 percent of young drivers admit to taking a photo or video behind the wheel once a month. Across all age categories, this concerns 8 percent of drivers. Also 8 percent indicate that they follow online meetings as a board member. The distraction is even greater there than with a normal phone call, says Vias.

During the first six months of 2022, more than 56,000 drivers were caught using a mobile phone behind the wheel. The fact that the police and judiciary are investing so heavily in this dangerous behavior is because distraction caused by mobile phones annually kills at least 50 people in traffic and also causes 4,500 injuries.

Just to sensitize drivers, Vias and insurer Baloise are once again launching the campaign ‘Car in, mobile phone out’, with Olympic gymnastics champion Nina Derwael as the billboard.