Belgian Police Warn Against Street Racing App TripRank

The Belgian federal police have issued a formal warning against TripRank, a driving tracking app that has become increasingly popular among street racers. Police spokesperson Ann Berger described the app as “absolutely unacceptable,” noting that it appears to facilitate and encourage illegal street racing on Belgian roads. The warning comes as Federal Minister of Mobility Jean-Luc Crucke announced an investigation into the app, according to VRT NWS.

What Is TripRank?

TripRank is a GPS-based driving tracker that records trips and displays detailed statistics about driving performance. Users can track their top speed, highest speed in corners, and maximum acceleration on their profiles, and share these metrics with others. The app has been described as a kind of Strava for car drivers — the popular sports app for runners and cyclists — but with a critical difference: it gamifies speed and encourages dangerous driving behavior.

Developed by Serbian developer Uros Mijajlovic and launched in January 2026, the app has been downloaded approximately 250,000 times worldwide. More than 9,000 users in Belgium have already downloaded it. The app offers a free tier and a premium subscription costing €6 per month or €35 per year for advanced features.

Police Warning and Legal Consequences

“Such apps are of course absolutely unacceptable, because speeding is forbidden and life-threatening,” Berger told VRT NWS. “We absolutely advise against using that app.”

Berger emphasized the severe legal consequences for excessive speeding in Belgium. Drivers caught exceeding the speed limit by more than 40 km/h on a highway face mandatory appearance before the police court, fines of up to several thousand euros, and driving bans ranging from 8 days to 5 years. For drivers with less than two years of experience, the threshold drops to 30 km/h over the limit.

While police have not yet received specific reports of TripRank use in Belgium, Berger noted that they frequently receive reports of dangerous driving behavior, often accompanied by video footage from other road users.

Government Investigation

Federal Minister of Mobility Jean-Luc Crucke has announced an investigation into the app. “We are aware of the existence of this app and are investigating the situation further with the competent partners and involved actors, including justice,” Crucke said. “Promoting inappropriate or too-fast driving is absolutely undesirable and runs counter to our efforts around road safety.”

The Vias Institute, Belgium’s road safety research institute, has also raised concerns. Spokesperson Stef Willems warned that the app glorifies speed and reaches a subgroup of young drivers who “see the street as a game.” He noted that “there are real people and real deaths and injuries can occur.”

A Contradictory Business Model

The app’s website claims it does not promote reckless driving, stating that “nowhere in the app are you asked to exceed a certain speed” and that users “climb leaderboards by driving more, not by driving faster.” However, investigative reporting by HLN reveals a different reality: the app displays a moving speedometer, plays a revving engine sound, marks speed cameras, and awards points based on speed, with leaderboards ranking users by their fastest times.

The app’s marketing strategy is particularly concerning. TripRank’s approximately €80,000 campaign incentivizes users to post viral videos with the hashtag #TripRank, paying up to $500 (€434) per video for content that reaches 1,000+ views. The conditions for payment require users to present themselves as racing enthusiasts with sports car profiles, effectively encouraging the production of dangerous driving content for social media.

Political commentator Isolde Van den Eynde wrote in an HLN opinion piece that the app’s terms “are nothing more than an alibi for the maker to wash his hands in innocence.” She called for authorities to “block the app, suspend the accounts and revoke the driver’s license of those who use our streets as a video game.”

A Growing Problem

Street racing has become an increasingly visible problem in Belgium. In Ghent alone, police received 190 reports of street racing in 2025, approximately 17 per month. During a speed camera marathon, speeds up to 118 km/h were measured in a 50 km/h zone. The phenomenon has also seen violence escalate, with incidents in Kruisem where racers threatened police and vandalized property.

What’s Next

As the investigation unfolds, several questions remain unanswered. Can Belgian authorities ban or restrict the app? Will Apple and Google remove it from their app stores? And what legal action, if any, can be taken against its Serbian developer? The outcome of Minister Crucke’s investigation will likely determine whether Belgium can take meaningful action against an app that many believe turns public roads into a dangerous game.