Mobility

A motorist was in too much of a hurry in a built-up area but was able to avoid having his licence revoked and a heavy fine thanks to a protest by a farming community. The sign was upside down!

A few months ago, many farmers in Flanders and Wallonia in protest, took action and tured road signs up side down. They mainly targeted the F1a and F1b signs marking boundaries of built-up areas. These signs impose a speed limit of 50km/h in these two regions. However, in February, a driver was caught speeding at 86km/h in the built-up area of ​​the Flemish municipality of Pervijze (Diksmuide). Several signs had been turned up side down on the roads in this area.

Fine nonetheless

Reversed signs are neither compliant nor legitimate, according to a judge at a police court in Veurne. He took into account the comments of the motorist's lawyer. Although the driver won't get away with not getting a fine at all, the fine will be calculated on the basis of the speed limit outside built-up areas, i.e. 70km/h in Flanders, instead of the 50 km/h on the road. He therefore received a fine of 256 euros, part of which is suspended. He will also have to pay 200 euros to the Fund for Assistance to Victims of Intentional Acts of Violence.

Lesser penalty

Without the inverted sign and if the judge had followed the advice of the public prosecutor rather than the lawyer's argument of confusion, the motorist would have risked much more: several hundred euros in fines and, above all, a temporary loss of the right to drive. He can therefore consider himself lucky to only have to pay a fine and a contribution. Furthermore, the judge also indicated that the municipal authorities had failed in their duty by not quickly putting the signs back in the right direction.

(MH with Olivier Duquesne – Source: 7sur7.be – Picture: © picture alliance / photothek | Thomas Trutschel/photothek.de)