Truck drivers involved in fatal crashes in Belgium could face tougher criminal penalties from 8 April 2026, when the country’s new Criminal Code enters into force. The reform introduces “verkeersdoodslag” (translates as “traffic manslaughter”) as a new criminal-law concept for fatal road cases caused by serious faults or recklessness, replacing softer language around fatal traffic “accidents” with a more direct legal framing.
According to Belgian Justice Minister Annelies Verlinden’s office, the change is intended to ensure that drivers responsible for deadly crashes through grave errors are “correctly named” and prosecuted appropriately. The minister’s office says the offence will apply where a fatal road incident is caused by serious mistakes or reckless behaviour.
For hauliers, the key point is that penalties can be much heavier when a traffic death is linked to a serious underlying offence. The minister’s office says the maximum penalty rises to 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to €16,000 in cases involving aggravating circumstances such as drink-driving, driving without a licence, or running a red light.
The law was approved by the Belgian parliament on 30 January 2026, according to the minister’s announcement. The change therefore looks more than symbolic: it is both a language shift and a sentencing shift, aimed at treating the most serious fatal road cases as a more severe category of offence.
Belgium follows France in treating certain fatal crashes more harshly
Belgium’s reform also fits into a wider European trend of moving away from softer legal language around fatal road “accidents” where serious wrongdoing is involved. As Trans.INFO reported earlier this month, France introduced the specific offence of “homicide routier” in July 2025 for fatal crashes involving aggravating circumstances such as drink- or drug-driving, driving without a licence, excessive speeding, hit-and-run, or handheld phone use.
In France, the consequences can go far beyond prison and fines: OTRE’s guidance says convictions can also trigger automatic licence annulment, with a ban on reapplying that can effectively end a professional driver’s career.
