Brussels (Brussels Morning) – A motorcyclist repeatedly flouts speed limits, defiantly gesturing at cameras. After multiple violations, police banned him temporarily and impounded his vehicle, highlighting ongoing challenges in enforcing road safety.
Police have now detected a motorcyclist who had committed several speeding violations over the past few weeks. When flashed by speed cameras, he would always show it the middle finger.
Why Did the Motorcyclist Gesture Defiantly at Speed Cameras?
The City of Brussels/Ixelles police zone verified that a motorcyclist who had been caught speeding up to eight times on different days and in various areas has been temporarily banned from riding. He mainly was discovered to be speeding around Allée Verte and Quai des Usines near the Brussels Canal and on Avenue du Parc Royal at Parc de Laeken.
“Every time, he put up his middle finger to the speed camera,” the police reported. In all these locations, a speed limit of 50 kilometres per hour (km/h) is in place. “The motorcyclist was driving at least 72 km/h there, with peaks of 132 km/h and 137 km/h.”
Images of the motorcycle – fitted with a French number plate – and the driver were distributed by the police. Eventually, a patrol from the Traffic Directorate detected the motorcyclist in Laeken on Tuesday 7 May.
What Consequences Did the Motorcyclist Face for Reckless Behavior?
His paperwork was not in charge and his driving licence was not fit to drive a motorcycle. Additionally, he had outstanding penalties amounting to €3,840 to pay. The motorcyclist’s vehicle was towed and his licence was revoked for 15 days.
Along with drink-driving and the use of mobile phones behind the wheel, extreme speed is one of the main causes of road accidents in Belgium: one in three fatal accidents is due to inappropriate or excessive speed.
Certain locations have long fought against so-called “rodeo” riders – people who drive roughly recklessly, breaking speed limits. Individual police zones, notably the City of Brussels/Ixelles police zone, have taken measures to tackle the issue, especially near the Heysel platform around the Atomium.
However, efforts appear to be fruitless, mainly due to a lack of a structural framework to curb the problem and too few resources.
