2 out of 3 speed camera requests on regional roads rejected in Flanders

A significant majority of requests to install average speed cameras on regional roads in Flanders have been denied, with two out of every three applications rejected over the last two years. Municipalities seeking to enhance road safety through these measures must submit applications to the Agency for Roads and Traffic (AWV), which evaluates them based on specific, objective criteria.

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We may not simply place cameras everywhere as a government. Therefore, each situation must be thoroughly examined.

Since the beginning of the current legislative period, 15 applications for average speed cameras on regional roads were submitted by municipal governments. However, only one-third of these were approved. Flemish Parliament member An Christiaens (CD&V) obtained these figures, which reveal a stringent approval process.

The AWV assesses applications using the '531-score,' a traffic safety indicator derived from the number of accidents and their severity over the past three years. Points are awarded for fatal (5 points), serious (3 points), and minor (1 point) injuries, with a 1.7 multiplier for vulnerable road users. A minimum score of 15 is required for approval. If the score is too low, the application is further evaluated based on whether excessive speeding is a structural issue, requiring the V85 value (the speed at or below which 85% of vehicles travel) to be at least 6 km/h above the speed limit.

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It is very unfortunate that only the numbers are looked at.

In Flemish Brabant, seven out of eight applications were rejected, with only Diest receiving approval. Limburg saw six applications from Lanaken, Kinrooi, and Heusden-Zolder, with only Lanaken succeeding. Annette Palmers, alderman of Mobility in Heusden-Zolder, expressed disappointment, stating, "It is very unfortunate that only the numbers are looked at." She highlighted that the rejected application in her municipality, which narrowly missed the score threshold, involved dangerous crossings and vulnerable users like the elderly and schoolchildren. Palmers argued that while self-initiated speed checks are conducted, they are insufficient to address the perceived safety risks.

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We have been working for years to proactively increase safety for our residents. On both routes, it is very dangerous to cross and there are vulnerable road users such as nursing home residents or schoolchildren.