Poland’s roads saw 458 accidents this past weekend, with 50 people killed and 703 injured.

The death toll makes it the most tragic weekend so far this holiday season. 

Police statistics show that 1,800 people were detained for driving under the influence of alcohol, according to Karol Jakubowski from the Central Police Headquarters. 

The weekend of 17 to 19 July was the worst this holiday season. The previous weekend saw 365 accidents on Poland’s roads with 47 people killed and 539 injured. 

Jakubowski attributes driving under the influence of alcohol and driving over the speed limit as the reasons for such statistics and calls for more caution on roads. The police spokesperson especially warns against the dangerous, yet all too common, practice of overtaking a vehicle that is already passing another car. 

According to Eurostat, Poland is the fourth worst in the EU in terms of road safety. Only Romania, Greece and Bulgaria have higher death rates on the roads, per million of the population. Over 39 000 people died in traffic accidents in the European Union in 2008 (mmj/pg)