BETTER PARTSIn this exceptional case, you as a passenger can also receive a (hefty!) speeding fine
A backseat passenger even received a fine of 2,000 euros
Look, this is how we can close the budget deficit: if the police only start picking coaches off the road, they can issue ninety fines at a time. All nonsense aside, in very exceptional cases you as a passenger can receive a fine if the driver is speeding. It only happened in Belgium, but it could theoretically also happen in the Netherlands.
It is a special story. On the E17 near Sint-Niklaas in Belgium last year, the police chased a car that was reaching 235 km/h. The car forced those in front to turn to the right by signaling with high beams. In the back seat of the car was the driver's cousin, who insisted on speeding because his girlfriend - who was also in the car - was suffering from stomach cramps.
The driver was forced
The two cousins recently appeared in court, with the backseat passenger admitting: 'I wanted to go home as quickly as possible. That's why I forced my cousin to go to extremes.' HLN reports this. The driver agreed that he was forced by his cousin to drive so fast. For example, the passenger in the back seat was convicted of 'inciting excessive speed'.
The passenger was given a one-year driving ban and a 2,000 euro fine. The punishment is so severe because the man already has a significant criminal record. The driver has lost his driver's license for three months and is allowed to pay 1,600 euros. Both cousins have to get their driver's license again. The big question is: which kitchen prince is responsible for the girlfriend's stomach cramps - and should he not also appear in court?
Incitement to the traffic light is also fined
It is not only in the back seat that you can be fined in Belgium for encouraging excessive speed. If you gesture to the car next to you at the traffic light or if you 'revoke', you can also get a fine for that. Even if you accelerate well, you can get a fine if the car next to you speeds away, HLN writes.
And what about in the Netherlands?
We do not have such specific legislation for provoking dangerous road behavior in the Netherlands. But where there is a will, there is a law. According to HLN, such behavior can be classified as incitement. ' The term is formulated quite broadly, but it can also mean inciting criminal behavior, such as far exceeding the speed limit. This can lead to high fines and even a prison sentence,” the website writes.