During this action week, police officers from the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany uniquely joined forces to conduct a cross-border control. On Wednesday, October 8, the three countries took to the roads together for the first time to check drivers for mobile phone use while driving.

Three Countries, One Goal
On Wednesday, an intensive control was conducted that connected the three countries. This unique collaboration emphasized the shared importance of traffic safety and reducing distraction in traffic, a problem that does not stop at national borders. The result was a coordinated action that increased awareness in all three countries and strengthened the fight against distraction in traffic internationally.

Coach Bus
Team Traffic from the Limburg Unit once again deployed a coach bus. In recent years, the coach bus has also been successfully used. Together with the Province and the ROVL (Regional Traffic Safety Authority Limburg), this control was organized. And successfully. The police are generally not seen driving around in a coach bus. For this action week, the deployment of a coach bus proved to be very effective again. From the coach bus, officers had a clear view of the drivers of trucks in particular. The observation of violations was carried out on Belgian territory by Belgian police officers who were in the coach bus and on German territory by our colleagues from Germany.

Stopping Offenders
From a higher vantage point, you can better see into the cabins of trucks and vans. Surrounding the coach bus were several unmarked police cars and motorcycles. When a violation was observed from the bus, the drivers were immediately stopped by the police officers in the unmarked cars. On Wednesday, these cars were staffed with a mix of Dutch, Belgian, and German police officers.

Belgian Police
On Wednesday morning, the coach bus traveled via the A2 from Sittard to Weert. The route was then continued from Weert towards the Belgian border at Eijsden. There, the control was taken over by colleagues from the Police Fédérale Liège and the Federal Police Eupen. A few hundred meters after the coach bus crossed the border, the colleagues in the unmarked cars were all deployed. In our southern neighbors, not using hands-free calling can lead to a fine of €170 and an immediate withdrawal of the drivers license for 15 days, or even possible criminal prosecution. If the fine is not paid, the case can go to the police court, with fines up to €4,000 and the possibility of revocation of the driving license.

Autobahn Police North Rhine-Westphalia
The afternoon segment took place largely on German territory. Via the A76, the coach bus drove to Aachen up to Autobahnreuz Kerpen. The German police officers from Autobahnpolizei Köln, Polizeizone Eifel, and Polizei Aachen identified the offenders and subsequently fined them. Not using hands-free calling in Germany can lead to a fine of at least €130 for a driver, and possibly also a point on their drivers license.

Fines
In total, 203 reports were issued this week for holding a mobile device while driving. Other offenses for which fines were issued included driving on the emergency lane, driving over the displacement lane, ignoring the overtaking ban for trucks, driving with an invalid license plate, ignoring red traffic lights, unnecessary left lane driving, right overtaking, damaged or worn tires, carrying a small child in the arm as a passenger in a car, providing a false name, and failing to present a drivers license upon first request. In addition to a fine, the drivers were also addressed about their behavior. This was to create more awareness among road users.

Monocam
During the action week, two monocams were also deployed. The monocam is a camera largely developed by the police itself equipped with software that recognizes drivers holding a device. These cameras were deployed at multiple locations on the Limburg highways this week. When this camera sees that someone behind the wheel may have a device in their hand, this hit is reported. When it is confirmed by police officers via the four-eyes principle that it is indeed a phone that the driver has in hand, a fine follows. The fine is sent via the Central Judicial Collection Agency. 244 offenders photographed this week via the MONOcam will soon receive their fines via the CJIB at home.