Record number of Dutch drivers ordered to courses after driving under influence
The number of drivers ordered to report to the Dutch driving authority after being caught driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs has risen sharply this year, reaching a record high driven by stricter reporting rules and an increase in detected offenses.
More than 31,000 traffic participants were required to report to the Centraal Bureau Rijvaardigheidsbewijzen, or CBR, for an investigation or a mandatory educational course after driving under the influence, AD reported. That represents a 26 percent increase compared with 2024 and marks the highest total on record.
The surge is particularly pronounced among drivers caught using drugs. According to the latest figures, 6,070 people were ordered to follow the mandatory “drugs and traffic” course this year, up from 3,742 last year, an increase of 68 percent. The CBR says the sharp rise is largely explained by a procedural change introduced on April 1, under which police automatically forward reports of drug-impaired driving to the CBR.
Under Dutch administrative law, a serious traffic offense triggers not only a fine and possibly a temporary driving ban, but also a separate procedure at the CBR to assess whether a driver is fit to be on the road. First-time offenders without victims are often assigned a course, while repeat offenders or drivers suspected of addiction are sent for medical or psychiatric evaluation. If that assessment is negative, the driver’s license can be revoked for a prolonged period.
Overall, police detected 13 percent more cases of driving under the influence this year. As a result, more than 6,000 additional road users compared with last year were required to attend a costly awareness course on top of their regular fines.
Most people referred to the CBR were required to take a course rather than undergo a medical assessment. However, when there is a suspicion of addiction, the CBR orders a formal fitness-to-drive investigation by a psychiatrist. That happened 6,945 times this year, nearly 2,000 more cases than in 2024, when 4,932 such assessments were conducted. If a driver is found unfit to drive safely, the driver’s license can be declared invalid for an extended period. CBR Director Jan Jurgen Huizing called the figures troubling.
Drivers caught under the influence of drugs are required to complete the “drugs and traffic” course, which consists of three four-hour sessions at the CBR combined with homework assignments over several weeks.
Drivers referred for alcohol offenses must follow either a short or long course. The short course includes two four-hour sessions and an assignment, while the longer course adds an intake interview and an extra eight-hour course day. By mid-December, 6,092 drivers had been ordered to take an alcohol course, compared with 5,080 last year.
Separate short and long behavior courses are also imposed on drivers who committed serious traffic violations. In addition, 4,207 drivers who exceeded the speed limit by at least 50 to 60 kilometers per hour were ordered to attend a behavior course, 467 more than in 2024.
The vast majority of course participants are men, accounting for roughly 80 percent to more than 90 percent depending on the type of measure.
Speed-related courses disproportionately involve drivers younger than 25. Police also report that drivers are still regularly using nitrous oxide while in their vehicles.
All courses are paid for by the offenders themselves. Costs range from 818 euros for the lighter alcohol course to 1,316 euros for the drugs or behavior courses. CBR officials say many drivers experience the fee as an additional punishment, but stress that the charges only cover the cost of providing the courses and related administrative work and do not generate profit for the agency.
Police say it is still unclear why the number of offenders rose so sharply this year. A spokesperson for the national police leadership said the figures need to be analyzed further and emphasized that the increase does not reflect a structural rise in traffic checks. In many cases, drivers are stopped for another reason before officers discover signs of impairment.
