Poland developing road safety strategy

The authorities in Poland are working on a road safety strategy intended to tackle the country’s high level of fatalities and injuries from traffic crashes. Improvements in safety levels are being seen with a decline in the fatality rate and in 2012, 3,600 people were killed representing a drop of 22.3% from the previous year. The first quarter of 2013 saw an 18.1% drop in road crashes, a 25.4% fall in fatalities and an 18.4% reduction in injuries compared with statistics available for the same period in 2012. The data shows that there was also a 22.3% drop in the numbers of incidents involving pedestrians, a 13.5% fall in the numbers of pedestrian fatalities and a 24.5% reduction in the numbers of pedestrians injured. This overall improvement has been achieved through tougher enforcement of existing laws by the police, as well as the involvement of traffic police in education and preventative measures. However, more work needs to be done and the police are targeting drink driving in particular as this has been identified as a major problem for Poland and a key focus for future safety strategy. During 2013’s May weekend alone, Polish police arrested 4,550 drivers for being at the wheel while under the influence of alcohol.