“Every day we hear about dramatic accidents caused by speeders. Therefore, several days ago the government adopted an amendment to the Road Traffic Law and from now on road maniacs will be punished more severely for their behaviour behind the wheel”, said the Prime Minister. At the same time, Mr Morawiecki emphasized that all such activities are intended to ensure safer road traffic and more effective prosecution of offenders. He also called for August to be a month of safe returns home from holidays.

Poles support more severe penalties

According to the police, a total of 23,540 accidents were reported in 2020 alone, as a result of which 2,491 people died and 26,463 were injured – with 8,805 of the latter suffering debilitating injuries. Importantly, nearly 90% of these accidents happened through the fault of the drivers.

According to research by the National Road Safety Council conducted in 2018, as many as 82% of respondents support the application of stricter penalties for speeding. Additionally, as much as 89% of people are in favour of applying harsher penalties for drivers’ actions that put pedestrians at risk.

The most important solutions adopted as part of the amendment – how will Poland’s road traffic change?

The project involves a plethora of changes making it possible to fight dangerous road behaviour more effectively. The most important ones include:

•    Pensions for the families of road accident victims

The current regulations do not ensure any coordination between criminal and civil proceedings regarding the family allowance pensions, which put minors and persons with disabilities who lost their guardians at a disadvantage. This is about to change. The amendment makes it possible for families to receive allowance pensions after the death of their loved ones.

•    Lower third-party insurance rates for safe drivers

The changes will enable the Central Vehicle and Driver Register to disclose to insurance companies the history of drivers’ offences. This will make it possible for such companies to offer lower third-party insurance rates to safe drivers.

•    Fines up to PLN 30,000

The maximum amount of the fine for minor offences will be increased from PLN 5,000 to PLN 30,000. The amount of the fine possible to apply in ticket proceedings will also be increased to PLN 5,000, and in the case of multiple offences, to PLN 6,000.  The amount will be reduced by 10% if the driver decides to pay the fine immediately during the road check during which it is applied.

•    Penalty point reset only after 2 years

A special system will be put in place under which penalty points for road traffic offences will only reset if all fines are settled. Moreover, penalty points will only reset after 2 years from the payment date of the fine. Once the changes are in effect, it will be possible for drivers to receive as many as 15 penalty points for traffic offences. As of now, the maximum number of points for certain offences is 10. The penalty point limit will not change.

•    All funds collected through fines will be used for road construction

Another new solution is to allocate the money from fines to the financing of road safety investment projects.

•    A 3-month driving licence suspension for falsifying tachograph readings

The bill provides for seizing a driving licence for 3 months in the event a road transport driver interferes with their vehicle’s tachograph system. This will not only improve safety but also ensure compliance with the principles of fair competition.

•    Simplified fine recovery

The Tax Office will be authorised to set off any unpaid traffic tickets against the tax return due to the driver. This will make it even harder to avoid paying the fine.

•    Improved pedestrian protection

The minimum fine for putting pedestrians at risk (e.g. overtaking on a pedestrian crossing, overtaking a vehicle that stopped to give way to a pedestrian) will be at least PLN 1,500. Should the perpetrator re-offend within 2 years, the fine will be at least PLN 3,000. Furthermore, if the life or limb of a pedestrian was in real danger, the court may also impose a driving ban on the offender.

•    Stricter penalties for drunk drivers and speeders

Driving under the influence of alcohol or other intoxicants will be punishable by arrest or a fine of at least PLN 2,500. In cases where the driver rides e.g. a bicycle, doing so will be punishable by arrest or a fine of at least PLN 1,000.

Exceeding the speed limit by more than 30 km/h will result in a minimum fine of PLN 1,500, regardless of whether it takes place in a built-up or non-built-up area. Drivers that re-offend within 2 years will be fined at least PLN 3,000.

Safer railway crossings

According to the bill, a minimum fine of PLN 2,000 will be imposed for driving or walking around lowered barriers or half-barriers and entering railway crossings.

Harsher penalties for driving without a licence

Driving without the required licence will be punishable by arrest, restriction of liberty or a fine of at least PLN 1,000. Should the perpetrator re-offend within 2 years, the fine will be at least PLN 2,000.

Road safety is the government’s priority

The Prime Minister also recalled the measures aimed at improving road safety taken by the government to date, including the National Road Development Fund. The Fund’s goal is to expedite the creation of safe and modern road infrastructure at the local level. In July, the Prime Minister approved task lists under which local governments will create new pedestrian crossings or improve the safety level of the existing ones. A total of PLN 44,621,472.00 in funding for the implementation of 242 tasks will be provided by the National Road Development Fund.

Yet another government safety improvement initiative is the “100 Ring Roads Programme 2020-2030”. It aims to re-route excessive traffic outside of cities, as well as providing clean air and decreasing noise. The government plans for 100 ring roads amounting to a total of 820 km in length to be constructed throughout Poland. Nearly PLN 28 billion will be allocated for this purpose.

With PLN 1 billion allocated for it, the government railway station construction and modernisation programme for the years 2021-2025 is no less noteworthy. The funding will be used for such things as the construction or modernisation of railway stations, as well as financing tasks related to improving the availability of parking spaces for travellers.