Stiffer penalties if you hog the middle lane!
Drivers hogging the middle lane on the motorway in future risk heftier fines. In future motorists who overtake and then continue to drive on the middle lane will be treated in the same way as motorists overtaking on the right.
Sandrine De Crom is one of the lawmakers who brought forward the legislation: "For years now hogging the middle lane has been the source of great irritation. It results in dangerous manoeuvres. We felt it wasn't logical that people overtaking on the right risk heftier penalties. People overtaking on the right are often obliged to do so, because other drivers are hogging the middle lane."
Motorists who persistently hog the middle lane risk a 116 euro on-the-spot fine or a 160 euro fine as part of an amicable settlement. The amounts are double what they used to be.
Tim Vandeput and Sandrine De Crom, the lawmakers who brought forward the legislation, hope the police will carry out strict checks on middle lane hoggers. In 2016 2,079 drivers were fined for causing a nuisance by sticking to the fast or middle lanes.