The number of bodily accidents involving a flight offense decreased by 5 % in 2024, according to data published this Thursday by the Vias road safety institute. A total of 4,596 accidents of this type was identified, against 4,820 the previous year. This is the first decline observed since 2018, even if the figures remain significantly higher in 2015, with an increase of 20 % in nine years.
The phenomenon therefore remains worrying, underlines the institute: almost an accident with killed or injured in eight (12.8 %) is accompanied by an offense of escape, on average an accident every two hours on Belgian roads.
The situation is particularly alarming in Brussels, where almost one in five body accident (19 %) involves a leak, against 13 % in Flanders and 10 % in Wallonia. The main victims are pedestrians (23 %), scooters of scooters (16 %) and cyclists (15 %). In 2024, 21 people lost their lives in this type of accident.
Five fugitive profiles
The study distinguishes five fugitive profiles. A third of them (31 %) are called “uncertain fugitives”, which minimize the seriousness of the accident. Next come rational fugitives (19 %), which deliberately fled to escape the consequences, panic fugitives (13 %), those under the influence of alcohol or narcotics (13 %), and finally intimidated fugitives (8 %), which first stopped before fleeing under pressure or the aggressiveness of third parties.
The authors of leaks could be identified in 86 % of cases. This improvement is attributed to the multiplication of surveillance cameras.
The sanctions provided against the authors of flight offense are particularly severe: fines of up to 16,000 euros, prison terms of up to four years in the event of death, and a final prohibition to drive in the event of recurrence or aggravating circumstances.
