A Dictionary of Dutchness

Spookrijder

A spookrijder (literally a ‘ghost driver’) is a motorist who drives on the wrong side of the road. This usually happens on motorway slip roads – hence the no-entry boards with the text ga terug (go back). Spookrijders cause some 75 accidents a year in the Netherlands and an average of two fatalities. People convicted of driving in the wrong direction can be fined upwards of €640.