Poland is the second in the European Union when it comes to the number of fatal car accidents.

The report compiled by the European Transport Security Council shows that in 2008 almost five and a half thousand people died on Poland’s roads. The only European country with a higher death toll than Poland is Lithuania. Even Romania and Bulgaria, where the quality of roads is low, have a better road safety record.

The reason why there are so many fatal accidents in Poland is not only the lack of safe roads and motorways but also the high speed of many drivers. According to Police Headquarters, thirty percent of accidents are caused by excessive speed, twenty-four percent by not giving way and seven percent by incorrect overtaking.

Surprisingly, company cars are involved in thirty percent of road accidents.

Ten years ago, EU member states initiated a road safety program which aimed at reducing the number of fatalities by 2010. Several countries, among them France and Latvia, managed to achieve the program’s goal. Poland is predicted to cut the death toll by no sooner than 2013.

“The disgraceful road statistics in Poland will only improve when a photo-radar law is introduced,” claims Maria Dabrowska-Loranc from the Road Safety Center. The solution proved to be highly successful in France, where the number of fatalities was reduced by twenty percent. The bill is currently being revised by the Constitutional Tribunal. (mg/pg)

Source: Gazeta Wyborcza