Traffic fines in the Netherlands "disproportionately high", says collection agency head

The head of the Dutch Central Judicial Collection Agency (CJIB), the company tasked with collecting outstanding fines from residents of the Netherlands, has said that traffic fines have risen too much and are no longer proportional to the severity of the offence. 

Traffic fines rise too quickly if unpaid, says head of CJIB

In an interview with the Leeuwarder Courant, Albert Hazelhoff, the outgoing head of the CJIB, said that traffic fines had become excessive. He pointed particularly to the surcharge system - which sees penalties quickly rise by up to 300 percent when someone neglects to pay a fine - and said it had grown “out of all proportion”. 

Hazelhoff said people often forget to pay fines, but the current system allows the penalties to stack up too quickly - so that a simple traffic fine could suddenly land someone in debt, or prove an additional source of stress for someone already experiencing financial difficulties. 

“We want a reduction in the fine increase, both from a debt perspective and for the sake of uniformity. Or just one reminder with an increase instead of the current two,” Hazelhoff said. “Increases in criminal law fines are also more limited, around 20 percent. That’s very different from 300 percent.”

Dutch government says it has no plans to reduce penalties

A government review of the current traffic fine system is currently underway and expected to conclude in 2026, but Justice Minister Foort van Oosten told NOS he had no plans to reduce fines. “We acknowledge that the fines are quite high”, he said, before adding: “The fines fund important matters within justice and security, such as the police and fire department.”

The minister also said that high fines act as an important deterrent to prevent people from breaking traffic rules. “The easiest and best way for everyone to avoid a hefty fine is to simply obey the traffic rules,” he said. “That way, you won’t get a ticket, and everyone will enjoy driving.”