Belgians lenient towards drink-driving

Belgian drivers are among the worst in Europe when it comes to tolerating driving under the influence, say Le Soir and De Morgen. The Sartre 4 study, conducted in 2010 in 19 European countries, reveals that 26 percent of respondents admit to having driven while over the limit in the previous month – well over the European average of 15 percent. Only Cyprus and Italy fare worse, with 35 and 32 percent respectively. Furthermore, nowhere else in Europe are motorists more convinced of their driving abilities when over the limit; 17.5 percent think it’s fine to do so – as long as they are careful – while the European average stands at 8 percent. The findings made for grim reading, too, about Belgian attitudes towards driving in restricted zones: a quarter of respondents think that breaking the speed limit by more than 20km/h in a residential area does not increase the risk of accidents.