The law voted upon aims to ensure that both offences (punishable as criminal offences) are penalised in the same way.

Draft legislation introduced by the MR (Mouvement Réformateur) and the Open Vld aims to increase the severity of the punishment for drivers refusing to leave the middle lane. It was unanimously approved by parliament, on Thursday.

Drivers who do not swing back into the right-hand lane after an overtaking manoeuvre will now be punished to the same extent as those overtaking them on the right. The law voted upon aims to ensure that both offences (punishable as criminal offences) are penalised in the same way.

It thus is permissible for the police court to disqualify offenders from driving for both offences.

Lars Andersen

The Brussels Times