Almost half of all Belgian drivers do not use indicators, a recent study by Touring, the Belgian motoring assistance company, has found.
After studying vehicle lane changes at specific locations along the E40, E17, E19, and Brussels Ring motorways, Touring concluded that, on average, 4 in 10 Belgian drivers fail to use their indicators when leaving or entering a motorway.
The same study also found that more than half of all Belgians do not use their indicators when exiting a roundabout – despite this being a legal requirement since 2004.
In an official statement, Touring expressed concern about the implications for road safety across Belgium. "This [failure to use indicators] is not only very irritating for other road users, but it can also compromise road safety when it is not clear whether the driver is going to change lanes or not."
Are phones to blame?
Though Touring is uncertain of the underlying causes for the lack of indicating, the company suggested that one reason why Belgian drivers are apparently so reluctant to use their indicators might be the fact that so many of them are distracted by their mobile phones – a phenomenon which is known to cause approximately 4,500 injuries and 50 deaths on Belgian roads every year.
A more straightforward explanation could simply be that Belgian drivers are unaware of the rules of the road.
The Touring study comes against the backdrop of an enormous increase in the number of traffic fatalities in Belgium over the past year: in the first half of this year, road deaths in Belgium increased by more than 40% compared to the same period in 2021, resulting in 231 people losing their lives.
