FahrstreifenFlandern

A Belgian traffic lane, or rijstrook, is a part of the roadway divided longitudinally by one or more prescribed continuous or broken road markings.

No. The roadway is the complete part of the public road arranged for vehicle traffic in general. It may contain one or several traffic lanes.

Ordinary traffic lanes are separated by white continuous or broken longitudinal lines. Temporary lane markings at roadworks may be orange.

A continuous white line may not normally be crossed by a driver. When it separates opposing traffic directions, drivers may also not travel to the left of it.

A broken longitudinal line may be crossed when necessary for actions such as overtaking, turning left, making a U-turn or changing lane, subject to the other applicable traffic rules.

At roadworks, orange temporary markings can divide or redirect traffic lanes. They have the same meaning as the corresponding white continuous or broken lines and make conflicting white longitudinal markings at the same location temporarily inapplicable.

Yes. A driver following the roadway must normally remain as close as possible to its right-hand edge and return to the right when circumstances allow, subject to the specific exceptions provided by the Road Code.

Yes, in certain situations. Inside built-up areas, drivers may choose the lane that best suits their destination on a one-way roadway divided into lanes and on certain two-way roadways having at least two lanes for each direction.

Yes. Changing from one traffic lane or queue to another is legally considered a manoeuvre, so the driver must give way to the other road users.

Yes. Before making a lateral movement, the driver must indicate the intention sufficiently early using the direction indicators when the vehicle is equipped with them.

During heavily slowed traffic, drivers in the lane that ends or becomes blocked must continue until just before the narrowing before merging. Drivers in the continuing lane must then alternately allow one merging driver to enter.

White directional arrows may indicate which lane drivers must follow when approaching an intersection. At the intersection, drivers must follow one of the directions shown for the lane they occupy.

Yes. A red cross above a lane means the lane may not be used, a green downward arrow indicates that it is open, and an orange diagonal arrow directs drivers to leave the lane in the indicated direction.

No. A parking strip is a separate part of the public road alongside the roadway and does not form an ordinary traffic lane.

The basic concept remains essentially the same. From 1 June 2027, the new Code of the Public Road defines a lane as each part of a roadway divided longitudinally by one or more white continuous or broken lines.