Traffic fines are too high and that makes police officers reluctant to write out tickets, the new police commissioner for West-Brabant/Zeeland told broadcasting company Omroep Brabant on Tuesday.

Hans Vissers said in an interview that the Netherlands has gone too far in the level of traffic fines. ‘I see colleagues hesitate before giving a fine, or even not fining someone at all, because they think €200 to €300 for a traffic violation is too much,’ he said.
According to Visser, officers would rather hand out more small fines than hit drivers with so much money in one go.
Currently fines range from €240 for not leaving enough distance with the car in front to €350 for using the horn unnecessarily.
Two years ago police trade unions said the relationship between violations and fines was too great and Visser said the feeling is the same now.
Justice minister Ivo Opstelten is aware of the situation, the new police chief said. ‘If he says the fines have to be this high, then we’ll hand them out. But officers are reluctant,’ he said.
In a reaction, the justice ministry told Omroep Brabant the amount of the fines is not the business of the police and it has not noticed that fewer fines are being handed out.
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