Over 6,400 people caught driving without license, fake license plates

More and more people are caught driving without a valid driver’s license or license plate. The number was higher in the past six months than in the first six months of previous years. The category was even the strongest increase among road crimes, both compared to last year and before the coronavirus pandemic. That is evident from an analysis of police figures by ANP. The police attribute the increase to, among other things, “less willingness to comply with the traffic rules.”

The police add up all crimes in which someone is behind the wheel without the proper papers or permission. The category includes driving without a valid driver’s license and driving with a fake license plate. In the first half of 2023, the police registered over 6,400 such violations.

The increase has been happening for some time. In the first six months of 2023, the police registered about 2,600 such crimes on the road. In 2019, there were almost 3,700. The police have not increased their inspections, said a spokesperson. However, the number of vehicles with license plates is rising. “The police, therefore, see an increase in the number of vehicles on the road as an explanation on the one hand, while at the same time, violations are more common.”

During the coronavirus pandemic - in 2020, 2021, and 2022 - the number of people who drove around without a valid diver’s license or license plate also increased. And that while there were a lot fewer cars on the road due to restrictions like the advice to work from home. The spokesperson explained that in 2020 and 2021, there was a temporary increase in, among other things, the number of street races and people driving without a license. “Fewer drivers, therefore, committed more or different types of violations.”

According to traffic psychologist and teacher at the police academy Matthijs Dicke, there is no research into the exact reason for the increase. “The most obvious thought is: the view of authority is changing, people think more individualistically.” That could mean, for example, that fewer people find a problem with driving without a license.

According to Dicke, traffic has been becoming less safe for years. People who drive without a valid driver’s license or license plate may also find it less necessary to comply with other rules, like speed limits. “Something really needs to be done about this. But that starts with a good understanding of where the danger lies.”