Hit-and-Run in 1 in 4 Pedestrian Injury Accidents in Belgium

In one out of every four accidents where a pedestrian is injured on Belgian roads, the perpetrator flees the scene, according to new data from the Vias Institute. The alarming statistic marks a sharp increase from just two years ago, when approximately one in five pedestrian injury accidents involved a hit-and-run.

A Growing Problem for Vulnerable Road Users

The new analysis reveals that 1,006 pedestrians were victims of hit-and-run accidents in Belgium in 2025, representing 25 percent of all pedestrians injured in traffic. While pedestrians are proportionally the most affected group, cyclists remain the most frequent victims in absolute numbers, with 1,819 cyclists — 15 percent of all cycling accidents — left behind by fleeing drivers last year.

According to VRT NWS, hit-and-run also features prominently in accidents involving e-steps (15 percent) and mopeds (12 percent), suggesting that vulnerable road users across the board are disproportionately affected when drivers choose to flee.

Rising Numbers Despite Tougher Penalties

The broader trend is equally concerning. In 2025, there were 4,814 injury accidents in Belgium where the perpetrator committed a hit-and-run — nearly 200 more than the previous year and an 8 percent increase over the past decade, from 4,467 in 2014. This means that every week, an average of 92 accidents with injuries or fatalities end with the driver fleeing the scene.

Last year alone, 5,297 people became victims of hit-and-run accidents: 20 were killed, 200 seriously injured, and 5,077 lightly injured. The proportion of injury accidents involving hit-and-run has also grown, rising from 11 percent in 2016 to 13 percent in 2025.

Why Drivers Flee

Research has consistently shown that perpetrators of hit-and-run are often driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or lack valid documents such as a driver’s license or insurance. As Plus Magazine notes, six out of ten hit-and-run perpetrators have something to hide, according to Vias research.

Brussels remains the worst-affected region, with about one in five injury accidents involving hit-and-run, compared to roughly 12 percent in Flanders and 10 percent in Wallonia, as reported by BRUZZ.

Calls for Urgent Action

Federal Minister of Mobility Jean-Luc Crucke called the new figures “worrying, especially those concerning pedestrians,” and pledged that combating the factors that encourage hit-and-run — alcohol, drugs, driving without a license or insurance — will be a priority in the future federal road safety plan. He also announced that Vias will be asked to thoroughly analyze the causes and profiles of perpetrators to enable targeted and effective measures.

Tom Dhollander, Managing Director of the Pedestrian Movement (Voetgangersbeweging), described the situation as “unacceptable.” “Anyone who hits a vulnerable road user has the responsibility to offer help and stay at the scene,” he said. “At the same time, these figures must be a clear signal to policymakers that pedestrian safety deserves more attention.”

Enforcement Improving, But More Needed

There is some positive news: 85 percent of hit-and-run perpetrators are now eventually identified, up from 78 percent in 2016, largely thanks to the proliferation of cameras in public and private spaces. The proportion of unsolved hit-and-run cases has correspondingly dropped from 22 percent in 2016 to 15 percent in 2025.

However, as the Vias Institute noted in its earlier 2018 analysis, the deterrent effect of penalties remains limited because drivers under the influence do not make rational assessments of potential sanctions. The institute has announced it will conduct new research into the profiles of hit-and-run perpetrators to better understand why the phenomenon continues to grow.

What to Watch For

The federal government’s “All for Zero” program aims to eliminate traffic fatalities, and the upcoming federal road safety plan will be a key test of whether the political will matches the scale of the problem. With pedestrian safety increasingly in the spotlight, advocacy groups and road safety experts will be watching closely to see whether the promised measures translate into meaningful change on Belgian roads.