During a police operation on Wednesday, 135 people were fined for holding their phones while driving. The control was carried out on the A58 between Rucphen in Brabant and Middelburg in Zeeland.
During the ‘Eyes on the Road’ operation, officers used a touring car and a so-called MONOcam. From the touring car, they saw drivers holding an electronic device while driving and had a follow-up car pull them over, police said.
The MONOcam checks whether people are distracted in traffic and immediately shows whether drivers are using their phone or are distracted in another way. The camera was located on the viaduct of the N62 in Hoek and on the viaduct of the A58 near Kloetinge.
During the control, 135 fines were issued for phone use in the car, 71 of which were via the MONOcam. In addition, eighteen fines were issued for other violations, such as not wearing a seatbelt.
Police say they are holding these kinds of operations to increase road safety. Officers will talk to offenders to create awareness.
The Public Prosecution Service announced earlier this year that it wants to more strictly monitor telephone use in traffic. A study conducted by the Institute for Scientific Research Road Safety (SWOV) for an insurer showed that 75 percent of motorists in the Netherlands sometimes use their phone behind the wheel.