Beveren-Kruibeke-Zwijndrecht (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – A Beveren-Kruibeke-Zwijndrecht resident faces 2 years of imprisonment due to his disregard of the driving ban. The man sought an ice cream dessert for his children, but this led him to collide with a pole.
A Beveren-Kruibeke-Zwijndrecht resident received two years of imprisonment for breaking his driving prohibition. The defendant attempted to drive his children after an ice cream truck crashed into a pole during the chase.
Prior to this offence, the individual accumulated 53 prior convictions for traffic violations and drug-related crimes and thefts, among others. Besides the prison sentence, the court established both an €8,000 fine payment and a permanent driving restriction.
The man said he wanted to get an ice cream for his children.
“In the summer of 2023, my children heard the ice cream truck, and they really wanted an ice cream too. I couldn’t deny my children that and I made a stupid decision,”
the man told the judge.
“I got in the car to chase the ice cream truck, even though I knew I wasn’t allowed to drive.”
But on the way, the man drove into a pole in Pareinpark. A witness who saw the accident happen alerted the police.
The man was able to convince a friend to take the facts, but when he was confronted with the images he retracted his statement.
“I was completely panicked when I drove into that pole,”
the man says.
“I knew what was hanging over my head and that’s why I tried to cover up the facts.”
The man had previously been convicted 53 times for thefts, drug offences, harassment and various traffic offences. He had also spent time in prison.
“My client has indeed not had a pretty career”,
his lawyer admitted.
“I can therefore ask the court for few favors, but the man has completely turned his life around in the meantime,”
said the defendant’s lawyer.
“He has his own business and has left his past behind him. I also hope that the court will take into account the specific circumstances in which these facts occurred.”
How Common Are Repeat Traffic Offenses in the Beveren-Kruibeke-Zwijndrecht Region?
Driving ban violations processed by the Beveren-Kruibeke-Zwijndrecht judicial district in 2023 amount to 1,200 reports yearly, and recurrent offenders makeup approximately 15% of total cases. The Federal Police show drivers with serious traffic convictions are 40% more likely to break driving laws again during the five years following their first violations. During 2022, the Antwerp Public Prosecutor’s Office processed more than 300 cases where drivers deliberately disobeyed their court-assigned driving bans, which resulted in various punishments, including monetary fines and incarceration.
The Belgian Institute for Road Safety (VIAS) records show that drivers possessing multiple motoring convictions involving drugs or alcohol take part in 22% of deadly traffic accidents in Flanders. According to Ghent University researchers, in 2021, offenders who committed more than 50 prior traffic offences amounted to under 1% of drivers but were linked to most repeat violations. Records from courts demonstrate that driving bans extending past a lifetime are seldom issued, yet they apply only to people exhibiting either severe recidivism or dangerous violations such as manslaughter by vehicle.
The Traffic Code of Belgium requires prison time as part of its intensified penalties for repeated traffic violations, according to Article 35. During 2023, Antwerp provincial courts handed out 78 permanent driving prohibition orders, which marked a 12% rise over the previous annual figures. The Belgian court’s actions demonstrate the national trend to closely monitor persistent dangerous drivers for the purpose of safer roads.
