Foreign motorists fined nearly 875,000 times on Dutch roads last year

Last year, 874,539 traffic fines were issued to foreign motorists in the Netherlands, roughly 12 percent of the total number of fines handed out in 2022. Drivers from neighboring countries made up the majority of foreign drivers caught violating Dutch traffic rules, De Telegraaf reports based on figures from the Central Judicial Collection Agency (CJIB).

About 312,800 tickets went to German motorists and 234,000 to Belgians. Swedish motorists fined in the Netherlands are most likely to pay their fines at 89.6 percent. While only 42.2 percent of traffic fines to Romanian drivers were paid.

Some 815,000 of the tickets issued to foreign drivers were for speeding. Illegal parking also got visitors in trouble (18,091), and many others were fined for running a red light (12,094).

“When people cross the border, they suddenly think they are allowed more. They feel freer than in their own country, but that is, of course, not based on anything,” traffic psychologist Gerard Tertoolen told the newspaper.

“What also plays a role is that the chance of being caught in the Netherlands is considered less great, and I cannot blame them - despite the figures.”

The police issued 7,278,504 traffic fines to Netherlands residents last year.