Six changes to Belgium's highway code from next week

A speed limit increase for electric scooters on Belgian roads - from 18 to 25kph - is one of several changes to the highway code coming into force at the end of this month.

Six changes to the Belgium's rules of the road were published this week in the Moniteur Belge statute book, affecting scooter users, cyclists and pedestrians.

The age limit for cycling on the pavement will next week increase from nine to 10 years old. The minimum distance that motor vehicles must allow to overtake a cyclist increases from a metre to 1.5m.

Other changes to the highway code include allowing the users of electric-powered bicycles to ride two abreast instead of in single file. Pedestrians must not cross the road if there is a designated crossing within 20 metres. Before, the distance was 30 metres.

Finally, the Belgian highway code introduces the concept of pedestrians being able to cross the road without having cars turning left and right into their path. Some junctions are experimenting with a new traffic light sequence, where motor vehicles in every direction are held at a red light while pedestrians and cyclists get green lights on each road.