Dutch Traffic Fines Have Become a Disguised Tax, Researchers Say

The Dutch government has been misusing traffic fines to fill holes in its budget, according to a new evaluation by the Scientific Research and Data Centre (WODC). The report, published today, calls for a rollback of fine increases and warns that the current system undermines public trust in law enforcement.

The WODC reviewed the Wet Mulder for the first time since it came into force in 1990. This law, named after the politician who introduced it, moved minor traffic violations out of the criminal justice system and into an administrative process. The idea was to handle large numbers of small offences efficiently, with low fines for low-risk behaviour.

That original purpose has been lost, the researchers conclude. Since 1994, traffic fines have increased by 220 percent while consumer prices rose by only 70 percent over the same period. The highest fine under the Wet Mulder is now 524 euros, for driving 29 kilometres per hour over the limit in a built-up area. When the law was introduced, the maximum was 150 guilders (roughly 68 euros).

The report is blunt about why fines have risen so much: successive governments have used them to generate revenue. This amounts to "improper use" of the minister's authority to set fine levels, the researchers write. The power exists to ensure effective traffic enforcement, not to balance the national budget.

This isn't the first time Dutch authorities have raised this concern. The Public Prosecution Service has said for years that fines are too high. In November 2025, the outgoing head of the Central Judicial Collection Agency (CJIB), which collects the fines, told the Leeuwarder Courant that penalties had become disproportionate.

Justice Minister Foort van Oosten acknowledged at the time that fines are "quite high" but said the cabinet had no intention of lowering them. The revenue is needed for police and fire services, he said.

The report is particularly critical of what happens when people don't pay on time. After a first reminder, the fine increases by 50 percent. After a second reminder, it doubles. A 250-euro fine can quickly become 750 euros.

The researchers call these escalations "disproportionate" and warn they push vulnerable people into debt. They suggest reducing the late payment surcharge to around 25 percent, with a single reminder instead of two.

But even modest reforms have been blocked. The report notes that proposals to reduce late payment penalties were considered and rejected because they would create gaps in the national budget.

Despite its criticisms, the WODC says the Wet Mulder has achieved its original administrative goals. Police, prosecutors, and judges spend far less time on traffic cases than they did before 1990. About eight million fines are processed each year without any court involvement. Fewer than one percent of fines are appealed, and 93 percent are eventually paid.

The researchers also found that Wet Mulder fines are about 30 percent higher than comparable penalties imposed under criminal law. Using a phone while driving costs 430 euros under the administrative system, more than the fine for a first-time assault that doesn't cause injury.

The report recommends reversing policy-driven fine increases and reducing late payment surcharges. It also suggests legal safeguards to prevent future governments from using traffic fines as a revenue source.

Whether any of this happens is a political question. The demissionary cabinet has already signalled it won't lower fines. Meanwhile, fines went up again in January 2026, with most amounts rounded up by about 10 euros.