Responding to a message, checking social media, or looking something up on your phone: many drivers do this while driving. However, it poses a significant risk to road safety. Therefore, the Public Prosecution Service will intensify the enforcement of holding mobile devices. Fifty focus flashers will rotate throughout the Netherlands, sending violations to the CJIB. Minister Van Weel (Justice and Security) installed the first focus flasher today in The Hague.
If you drive at 50 km/h and look at a screen for three seconds, you will have traveled 42 meters. That’s half a football field, during which you weren’t focused on the road. As a result, you might notice a red traffic light or a crossing pedestrian too late. Those few seconds spent looking at that message could be the difference between getting home safely and causing a serious accident. Yet many drivers cannot resist the temptation; research shows that 75% of drivers have used their phone while driving.
Focus Flasher
To combat distraction while driving, the Public Prosecution Service will deploy fifty focus flashers. The focus flasher has a camera that can detect holding a mobile electronic device. The focus flasher is easy to move, allowing it to be used in various locations across the Netherlands. Photos where the system recognizes a mobile phone in the driver’s hand are sent to the Central Judicial Collection Agency (CJIB). There, an enforcement officer reviews the photos again. If it is clear that the driver was holding a mobile device, the vehicle owner receives a fine of 430 euros.
First Installation in The Hague
With the Spring Memorandum of 2023, the government allocated additional funds for intensifying automated traffic enforcement. This has made the development and deployment of the focus flasher possible. The first focus flasher was installed on Monday, February 10, by Minister Van Weel (Justice and Security) in The Hague. In the coming weeks, the focus flasher will be tested, and fines are expected to be issued starting in April 2025. Focus flashers will also be installed soon in Utrecht and North Holland, followed by other locations throughout the Netherlands.
Joint Approach
The focus flasher is an addition to existing enforcement methods against distraction already employed by the police, such as observations by officers and the use of the Monocam and the tour bus. By warning in various ways about the risks of distraction and intensifying enforcement, more drivers will adjust their behavior. Enforcement thus reinforces the message of the MONO campaign: while driving, you are only focused on traffic. The more focus drivers have on the road, the more people will arrive home safely.