Question for Papaver about Belgian laws

Or I guess anyone else who lives in a country with a vulnerable road user law

I seem to remember you mentioned that Belgium traffic laws make it always the fault of the motorist if they hit a cyclist?

What are the penalties?

I ask because here in Washington we're trying to pass a vulnerable road user bill. It will institute more harsh penalties for anyone who kills or disables a pedestrian or cyclist with their vehicle. It will also pretty much assume that if you hit a vulnerable road user that it is your fault.

Lots of people are pretty freaked out about the whole idea - as they are concerned that it might apply to them.... (personally I think if you can't drive without feeling like you might hit someone at any moment you probably ought to rethink driving at all...) It will be very difficult to get support to ever get this passed.

Our legislators want the penalty to be jail time. I don't necessarily agree with that. I do think that it should be more than a traffic ticket - which often enough isn't even issued as the cyclists or pedestrian is blamed for collisions pretty regularly (especially when they are unable to tell their side of it). I'd like to see the drivers lose their license. Our legislators say this isn't effective because 85% of people who lose their license just continue to drive without one.

So I'm curious - you have a law like this already. What happens to a motorist that kills a cyclist or pedestrian? Is it effective? Do you feel like your roads are generally safer and friendlier places for people who are not in cars? Rather than reinvent the wheel, it would be better to know what already works.

thanks!