The Polish government plans to crack down on speeders with higher incomes, as the current fines are no longer a deterrent, according to Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.
In addition to the proposal to increase speeding fines for wealthier drivers, Morawiecki also announced new polices to reduce traffic congestion and improve road access for emergency vehicles. The government wants to implement the “zipper method” of merging road lanes, thought to reduce congestion as well as to improve safety by slowing traffic. In addition, the government wants to use the “emergency corridor” system in Poland whereby drivers in traffic jams on multi-lane roads are obliged to clear a passageway for emergency vehicles.
The changes are designed to limit speeding and make roads safer for pedestrians.
As a result of the changes, pedestrians will also have priority at zebra crossings. Currently, cars are only required to stop if a pedestrian is already crossing.
The speed limit will be reduced to 50 kilometers per hour (30 miles per hour) in towns and cities at all times. Right now, the speed limit is 60 kilometers per hour between 11 pm and 5 am.
Drivers may also lose their licenses for exceeding the speed limit by going more than 50 kilometers per hour over the speed limit outside of towns and cities.
The government also intends to go further to combat speeding and reckless driving. According to the Minister Dworczyk, the level of fines for “road piracy” is currently too low. He said that in the past, the €120 fine was a deterrent but that this is no longer the case.
The minister confirmed that the government was not only looking at increasing the level of the fines, but also at the possibility of linking that level to incomes so that richer drivers end up paying more.
“Some countries in the EU have introduced such schemes and we will certainly consider them,“ explained Dworczyk.
Police data shows that in 2018 in Poland, at least 31,000 road accidents killed more than 2,800 people and injured over 37,000.
