Drunk drivers on Polish roads. KGP data

According to data from the National Police Headquarters In the first six months of 2023, police officers detained 47,235 drunk drivers. In the same period last year, officers caught 48,467 drunk drivers. – A decrease in the number of detained intoxicated drivers occurs with a much larger number of tests for alcohol content. In the first half of 2023, there were over 7.1 million, which is 24 percent more than in 2022 – over 5.7 million) – noted nadkom. Robert Opas.

The policeman pointed out that the smaller number of detained drivers does not mean that drunkenness is no longer a problem on Polish roads. – Just look at the statistics – unfortunately there are still many drunk drivers. And the accidents they cause are the most tragic. These are often events where we are dealing with more than one fatality – he stressed.

– Drivers under the influence of alcohol caused 554 in the first half of 2023 traffic accidents (i.e. 134 fewer accidents than in the first half of 2022), 67 people died in them (14 fewer people killed than in 2022), and 653 people were injured (120 less than in 2022). With regard to the total number of accidents caused by vehicle drivers, drunk drivers accounted for 6.5 percent. – he gave.

The Chief Commissioner reminded how to behave when we see an intoxicated person who wants to get behind the wheel. – If we are sure we can help, let’s try to talk. Get away from that idea. The most important thing is not to give permission to drink and drive. However, the best solution is to call the police. Occasionally, reporters follow a vehicle when they suspect it is being driven under the influence of alcohol. However, I pay attention primarily to my own safety. Don’t be afraid to use the 112 number. Police officers are trained, they will be better able to stop the driver from driving on double gas, he assured.

– The role of the police is to stop the drunk driver. The penalty resulting from this act is already decided by the court. Police officers at the scene of intervention can impose a fine of up to 2.5 thousand. zlotys only on drivers of non-mechanical vehicles – this applies mainly to intoxicated cyclists, driving electric scooters or personal transport devices – he said.

He indicated that if a police officer stops the driver in the state after using alcohol (from 0.2 to 0.5 per mille – ed.), he can count on a high fine. – His driving license is suspended, and the court may order a ban on driving and specify the period of suspension in months or years – from six months to three years. This situation is classified as a misdemeanor, he reminded.

– If we are talking about the state of intoxication, i.e. when the result of half a per mille is exceeded – here the responsibility is already regulated by the Penal Code. In its basic form, we must take into account the penalty of restriction or imprisonment for up to two years. But in addition, a driving ban under the age of 15 may be imposed. And if there are victims or injured in an accident, the court may ban driving for life, he added.

Despite better data on drunk drivers, nadkom. Robert Opas announced that there will be no shortage of sobriety tests on Polish roads . – The police use devices that can determine in a few seconds whether someone can continue driving or not. Therefore, please do not be surprised if during the inspection we are asked to blow into the alco-blow. The more controls, the more equipped teams, the safer our roads will be, he noted.

The superintendent also informed that there have been several tragic accidents in the last few days. On Monday, July 17, in the village of Osowiec (Podlaskie), a 38-year-old driving a passenger Volkswagen on a road curve lost control of the vehicle and then overturned. As a result of the accident, the man suffered multiple injuries and died in hospital. The test of alcohol content in the driver’s body showed 2 per mille of alcohol.

Another tragic accident occurred on July 15 near the Dębnicki Bridge in Kraków (Małopolskie Province). Preliminary findings show that the driver of the Renault Megane driving al. Krasińskiego in the direction of the Dębnicki bridge, he lost control of the vehicle, drove through the intersection in front of the bridge, turning left, hit a traffic light pole and a street lamp, and then rolled down the stairs to Czerwieński boulevard, where it hit a concrete wall.

Four men died as a result of the accident. According to investigators, the car was driven by Patryk P., according to the media, the son of celebrity Sylwia Peretti. The District Prosecutor’s Office in Krakow announced on Friday that the driver of the car was intoxicated – he had 2.3 per mille of alcohol in his blood. Two passengers were also intoxicated. Leszek Brzegowy from the District Prosecutor’s Office in Krakow clarified that one of the passengers had 1.3 per mille in the blood, and the other passenger – 1.4. The third passenger was sober.