The Public Prosecution Service believes that the fines for common traffic violations such as speeding, using the telephone while driving or failure to yield have become too high.
The Public Prosecution Service warns Minister Dilan Yesilgöz (Justice and Security, VVD) of growing resistance in society against the increasingly higher fines that are being settled under administrative law. In the report Fine systems in balance that the Public Prosecution Service sent to the minister earlier this year, warns of an “imbalance” between traffic fines and the fines imposed by the Public Prosecution Service through criminal orders. For a significant speeding violation, a fine can now amount to around 400 euros. That is approximately the same as the fine that the Public Prosecution Service demands after an assault.
According to the Public Prosecution Service, “there is decreasing support within society, among citizens, enforcement and the judiciary, for the increasing amount of fines.” The justice department fears that this will lead to people appealing more often against imposed sanctions. “In addition, experience shows that reporting officers are increasingly using their discretionary power to issue a warning instead of drawing up a report. A significant increase in fines will put further pressure on this support base,” the Public Prosecution Service said.
10 percent higher
Earlier this year, the cabinet decided to increase traffic fines by 10 percent for 2024. Minister Yesilgöz does not intend to change this decision, she writes in a letter sent to the House of Representatives on Monday. “The policy increase is necessary this year to get the national budget and the tasks of my ministry in order,” she writes. If the fines do not increase, cuts will have to be made in executive services. “The cabinet wants to avoid the latter. With this step comes the burden on traffic violators, who can avoid these costs by adhering to traffic rules.”
According to Yesilgöz, the Public Prosecution Service’s comments must be further elaborated and followed up by a new cabinet.
According to a spokesperson, the Public Prosecution Service proposes that traffic fines be reduced or that the inflation correction be omitted. “The content of an offense should be decisive when imposing sanctions and not on balancing the budget,” the Public Prosecution Service said. Yesilgöz rejects this. “The proposals made by the Public Prosecution Service to restore the balance would have major financial, policy and political consequences. Given the outgoing status of the cabinet, it is not possible to make a decision on this in the short term.”
According to calculations by the Ministry of Justice, “reversing the incidental increases has very large financial consequences – given the total annual fine revenues – of approximately 100 million euros structurally or approximately 40 million euros structurally if the increase is limited to the inflation correction.”
Also read this article: Nearly 180,000 fines were issued for calling and texting in traffic last year, partly thanks to cameras
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