Wallonia (Belgium) could implement speed reduction to combat high death rate

The Walloon Road Safety Council (CSWSR), an advisory body to the southern Belgian region, has proposed a major shift in speed management for its new 2026-2030 action plan, seeking to reduce the region’s disproportionately high rate of road deaths. 

Since Flanders, in northern Belgium, reduced its default limit on roads outside built-up areas from 90 km/h to 70 km/h in January 2017, the number of road deaths and serious injuries on those roads has fallen by 23 per cent. This demonstrable safety benefit provides a strong impetus for Wallonia to adopt similar measures on its high-risk road sections.

The core proposal is to move away from the current high default limit of 90km/h by focusing on the adaptation and extension of lower speeds where safety dictates. This will involve a regulatory revision, starting in 2026, to allow the 70 km/h limit to be applied as the norm on many stretches of road outside built-up areas, particularly those where the road environment or cohabitation with non-motorised users makes 90 km/h unsuitable. Furthermore, the plan includes a major push to extend 30 km/h zones within urban areas, notably around schools. 

The CSWSR also suggests piloting the use of dynamic speed limits which can automatically adjust based on real-time conditions such as weather or traffic density. The entire scheme is planned for progressive implementation following road classification in 2027.