The death toll on Polish roads has been continuing to be very high. On average, in 100 car accidents in Poland, the number of persons killed stands at 11, while in the EU it is five. The improvement of traffic safety in Poland lags far behind the European average, and it will probably even fail to meet the safety thresholds that Poland has set for itself.
On the basis of audits of Polish roads, the NIK has developed a list of the most important causes of accidents. These are the following: poor technical condition of roads (insufficient safety levels have been also found in the case of several sections of motorways), ineffective system for training and examining candidates for drivers, poor condition of vehicles and faulty traffic organisation. However, NIK auditors emphasise that the list is not complete.
Causes of low road safety (on the basis of audit results)
Poor condition of road surface
Every second kilometre of public roads has ruts in the asphalt that are 2 centimetres deep, while in every fourth kilometre - 3-centimetre-deep ruts can be found. In the EU member states, such roads are closed for drivers, in order to provide for their safety. If this solution was introduced in Poland, almost half of the roads would be closed. That is why they are still used, and only lower speed limits are set there. Poor condition of road surface should be also attributed to the movement of lorries.
Not enough motorways
There are no good solutions in Poland with regard to providing for high quality roads, such as motorways and dual carriageways, and their construction has been progressing slowly. Besides, there are no connections among existing motorways and dual carriageways: these are just isolated and dispersed sections.
Another key problem is the ineffective system of training for drivers. Driving lessons, despite several reforms introduced, do not provide the participants with sufficient skills to drive a vehicle. The NIK also indicates the high number of failed driving licence exams. In Poland, the percentage of persons who pass the driving test at the first attempt does not exceed 50 percent (the highest percentage is in Warsaw, namely 48 percent). Is seems, however, that passing a driving exam does not guarantee that one can drive well. According to the data of the Police, as many as 35 percent of accidents are caused by persons who have just acquired a driving licence.
Yet another problem is negligence on the part of bodies that manage Polish roads. Regular audits carried out since the year 2000 show that almost half of these bodies do not collect data on accidents, and over 30 percent do not have plans for traffic organisation, comprising, for instance, location of traffic lights and lanes. Despite subsequent repair programmes, little improvement has been observed in the area.
