2023-11-08 07:00:00
There are top places in European rankings that we could do without. The Vinci Foundation surveyed road users in eleven countries. To the question, “When you drive, do you ever stop or park on a cycle path”, 24% of Belgian drivers answered in the affirmative.
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This is 3% more than during the 2022 survey. This increase places us in first place on this unenviable podium, with the Netherlands (23%) and Germany (22%) alongside us. ). At 13%, France pulls the European average (18%) down, as do Slovakia (8%) and Sweden (14%).
“The number of cycle paths is increasing in Wallonia. Just look at cities like Mons, Charleroi or Namur. The temptation to park on it is therefore higher. But this can put the cyclist in danger because he has to look behind him and move off the road. The coin has not yet fallen on the side of motorists. The police should control more,” said Benoît Godart, spokesperson for the Vias Institute. This 2nd degree offense is punishable by a fine of 118 euros.
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Other uncivil behavior linked to parking: one in eight Belgians (13% in 2023-10% in 2020) admit to parking from time to time in a space reserved for the disabled. The least respectful are the British (19%), ahead of the Spanish (17%), Germans (16%) and Swedes (16%). “These locations are wider in order to leave room for the people concerned to get out of their vehicle. Unfairly occupying these spaces can put them in danger because they will then have to choose a normal location,” underlines the road safety specialist. The fine is also €118.
13%, this is also the rate of Belgians who wrongly claim an electric car location. This is half as much as drivers who park in double lines. With an average of 26%, we are not the worst since Europe has a rate of 32%, boosted by Spain (59%) and Greece (52%).
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The European survey by the Vinci Foundation also focused on the uncivil behavior of weak users. The three bad behaviors of Belgian cyclists are: riding on a sidewalk (60%), overtaking a truck or bus on the right (55%) and dismounting to explain to another user (45%).
Still according to the survey, only 50% of Belgians resort to walking. “This is significantly less than the European average (66%) and it is even the lowest percentage of all European countries! For comparison, 73% of our Dutch neighbors walk for their daily trips and our French neighbors, 62%,” compares Benoît Godart.
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On the other hand, 28% of Belgians use bicycles for their travels, which is above the European average (22%). Of course, we are still far from the Netherlands (58%) but we are far ahead of the French (13%).
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