Linter (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Linter installed speed checks on Heidestraat, Grote Steenweg, and Orsmaal, checking over 2.3 million cars. Mayor Marc Winants says the goal is safety, not fines, improving road safety and reducing crime.
As VRT News reported, Linter, a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, Belgium, has been working to make roads safer with speed checks. They started last year by putting up checks on Heidestraat and at 3 spots on Grote Steenweg. Over 1.58 million cars were checked by the system. Not many drivers were speeding.
This year, Linter added another check in Orsmaal. More than 726,000 vehicles have already gone through this check. They found 1,355 speeding violations there. The fines from these violations brought in over €77,000. However, the local authorities say the project isn’t about making money. The main goal is to make the roads safer for everyone.
How are Linter’s speed checks making roads safer?
According to Mayor Marc Winants, he wants the checks to improve safety, and they are doing just that. These checks measure how fast cars go over a distance, not just at one spot. This helps drivers to keep a safe speed all the time, instead of just slowing down for cameras. He mentioned that not many drivers get tickets, which means they are driving more safely.
These cameras use special technology to check how fast cars go over a whole road, not just one spot. This helps drivers stay within the speed limit all the time, not just when they see a camera. Officials mentioned that because of this, there are fewer accidents. When cars go slower, drivers can react faster, and crashes aren’t as bad.
They said that the cameras also record license plates. This helps the police find cars used in crimes like break-ins. This has helped to reduce the number of burglaries in areas where these cameras are used, making neighbourhoods safer.
The city has taken out some speed bumps because of the new speed cameras. Speed bumps were causing issues like car damage and noise. People living nearby also complained about vibrations and cracks in their homes.
“They are no longer needed if the speed is already being monitored,” says Wijnants. “As a result, there are now fewer complaints about cracks and tears in homes.”
