Speed limits, bike lanes: Key traffic rules to know before hitting Belgian roads

Navigating traffic in Belgium can be confusing for newcomers, and not being aware of some country-specific rules can be dangerous. The Vias Road Safety Institute shared some key rules that people should know before driving, cycling or walking on Belgian roads.

Even for people moving from another EU country, the traffic situation in Belgium can be daunting and baffling.

The most widely shared annoyance among foreign road users centres around the priority of the right rule. It requires drivers, motorcyclists and cyclists to yield to vehicles coming from the right if there are no traffic signals, signs, or traffic officers present.

However, several other rules differ slightly from other (European) countries, and could potentially lead to confusion, Vias' spokesperson Stef Willems told The Brussels Times.

Speed limits

In Belgium, the speed limits vary per region and differ according to the environment. In the Brussels-Capital Region, everywhere is a 30 km/h zone unless otherwise indicated.

In Flanders and Wallonia, the speed limit is 50 km/h in built-up areas (houses and buildings built or standing together in the centre of a village or city) unless otherwise indicated (e.g. 30 km/h zone).

A built-up area sign in Linkebeek. This indicates to drivers and motorcyclists that the speed limit is 50 km/h. Credit: Belga/ Nicolas Maeterlinck

Finally, outside such built-up areas, there is a difference between Flanders and Wallonia. "In Flanders, the standard maximum speed outside built-up areas is 70 km/h, while in Wallonia it is 90 km/h," Willems said.

Bicycle zones

Another Belgium-specific rule is the one regarding bicycle zones (formerly named bicycle streets). These are especially important for drivers. Cars are the "guests" in these zones, Willems noted. Cyclists can use the entire width of the road if it is a one-way street.

"The speed limit is 30 km/h for all road users, and cars, motorbikes, lorries or vans cannot overtake cyclists." All other priority rules apply.

The zone can be identified by a blue traffic sign with a white cyclist and a red car on it. The end of such a zone is indicated by a similar sign, with a red line across it.

Signs indicating the presence of a cycling zone and the end of such a zone. Credit: Belga/ Nicolas Maeterlinck

Bicycle suggestion lanes

Another key bicycle rule, meanwhile, is for cyclists. A bicycle suggestion lane indicates the position of the cyclist on the road. More specifically, cyclists can use this lane, but are not obliged to. It also aims to make drivers aware of the possible presence of cyclists. However, cars can still drive, stop or park on this strip (which is not allowed on a cycle path).

Credit: VAB

To clearly demarcate the two, these lanes have a different colour (either ochre or red) or a different type of surface than the rest of the road. Importantly, this is not the same as an official bicycle lane. These are marked by two parallel broken lines or traffic signs indicating a cycle path. The bicycle suggestion lane does not give cyclists specific rights, as this is not included in the traffic regulations.

Emergency or rescue lane

This is a rule that even many Belgians are not aware of, as it is relatively new.

Since 2020, drivers must create an emergency lane as soon as a traffic jam starts forming on a road with at least two lanes in the same direction of travel. This freed-up space allows emergency services and other priority vehicles to pass. The rule applies even when no flashing lights can be seen or sirens are heard approaching.

"A rescue lane also exists in Germany and the Czech Republic, among others, but in most countries, it is only required on highways," Willems explained. "In Belgium, the requirement applies on all roads [with two or more lanes]."

Credit: Vlaams Verkeerscentrum

• Two lanes: drivers in the left-hand lane have to move to the far left and drivers in the right-hand lane to the far right so that a rescue lane is created between them;
• More than two lanes, drivers in the left lane have to move to the far left, and drivers in the other lanes move to the right so that a rescue lane is created next to the left lane.

Lorries and precipitation

In the case of heavy precipitation, lorries and trailers intended for transporting goods weighing 7.5 tonnes are not allowed to overtake people on motorways and roads with at least four lanes.

"Belgium is one of the few countries with a specific rule banning lorries from overtaking during precipitation," Willems said. "There is no reason at all from a traffic safety perspective to maintain this."

Speed pedelecs

The Belgian rules for speed pedelecs (more powerful electric bikes) are different than in other European countries.

Here, there is a new category for this vehicle – the 'moped class P'. This includes bicycles with a maximum power of 4 kW (4000 W), assistance up to a maximum of 45 km/h and a motor that only works when pedalling. Wearing an approved helmet is mandatory.

Only people over the age of 16 with at least an 'AM driver's licence' can ride one. People without a driving licence must pass a theoretical exam, take a training course and pass exams before riding speed pedelecs.

Credit: Belga

Owners must register the speed pedelec with the Vehicle Registration Service (DIV), just like other mopeds.

"Speed pedelecs also have a small SP license plate," Willems explained. He noted that upon purchase, buyers must always receive a Certificate of Conformity.

On roads with a speed limit of 50 km/h or less, drivers can choose between the road or the bicycle path, but on roads with a speed limit higher than 50 km/h, the driver must always use the bicycle path. In a bicycle zone, they are treated the same as cyclists.

E-scooters

"Here too, we see that the rules differ from country to country throughout Europe," Willems noted.

Belgium introduced federal e-scooter rules, applicable across the country, in 2022. On top of these, even stricter rules apply in Brussels.

It is illegal for people under the age of 16 to travel on such two-wheelers. The maximum speed of an e-scooter should not exceed 25 km/h (limited by design). Faster e-scooters are banned on public roads. In Brussels, the speed is limited to 20 km/h, while the vehicles are automatically slowed to 8 km/h in pedestrian-heavy zones.

It is also not permitted to ride an e-scooter with more than one person. Anyone using an e-scooter is considered a cyclist, regardless of the speed at which they are travelling. For this reason, e-scooters are banned from pavements in the whole of Belgium.

Finally, a helmet is not mandatory, "but is strongly recommended", Willems said.

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