Drivers using a mobile phone behind the wheel on the Maas en Waalweg can expect a fine. From November 6, a focus speed camera will be placed along the N-road from Nijmegen to Zaltbommel. The road is known to be busy and risky, with several fatal accidents in recent years. Its high time to tackle distractions while driving.
The chance of head-on collisions on the Maas en Waalweg is relatively high. This is due to two busy traffic flows going in both directions without a central barrier. If you drive at 100 km/h and look at a message for three seconds, you will have traveled 83 meters. Thats almost the length of a football field, during which your attention is not on the road. A small steering error and you could end up on the wrong side of the road. Those few seconds of checking that message can make the difference between arriving home safely and causing a serious accident.
Focus speed camera
To combat this distraction behind the wheel, the Public Prosecution Service will have 40 focus speed cameras along Dutch roads by the end of this year. This focus speed camera will be located near Druten. It will rotate with other locations in the region and return more frequently along the N322. The focus speed camera is a movable speed camera with a camera that detects holding a mobile electronic device. Photos where the system recognizes a mobile phone in the drivers hand are forwarded to the Central Judicial Collection Agency (CJIB). There, a BOA reviews the photos again. If it is clear that a driver was holding a mobile device, the license plate holder receives a fine of 430 euros.
Broader approach Maas en Waalweg
The arrival of the focus speed camera fits well with the approach of the province of Gelderland. The province wants to adjust the N322 from Druten to the Ewijk junction, including adding a second lane and a central reservation with guardrails. This will solve traffic jam problems and improve the roads traffic safety.
