The police must become more visible while patrolling the country’s road network and crack down harder on road hogs and drunk drivers, a senior justice ministry official said on Thursday.

Achilles Damen, who is in charge of road offences at the public prosecution department, told the Telegraaf  drink drivers in particular get off lightly in the current set-up.

‘The chance of being caught must be increased,’ he told the paper. ‘The police must show more authority and confront people with their behaviour.’

Damen believes direct confrontation has more of an effect on people than a fine. ‘If you are caught speeding, you get a fine in the post two weeks later and you don’t even remember that you were driving too fast,’ he said.

Last year, 621 people were killed on the Dutch roads, compared with 570 in 2014.