The number of drivers who, despite repeated appeals, decided to get behind the wheels of their vehicles while under the influence of alcohol is alarming. Since 23 June 2017, Lower Silesian police officers have identified and detained 627 intoxicated drivers. Let us recall that driving a vehicle while intoxicated is punishable by up to 2 years in prison, a driving ban and a substantial financial penalty. In addition, a drunk or drugged driver who causes a serious accident resulting in the victim’s death or serious bodily harm will be sentenced to at least 2 years in prison. In such a case, the sentence cannot be suspended.
Furthermore, anyone who violates a court-imposed driving ban may be sentenced to up to 5 years in prison. In such a case, a driving ban lasting from 1 to 15 years will also be imposed on them.
What is more, a driver who knowingly forces police to give chase and fails to stop despite the light and sound signals from the pursuing police car commits an offence punishable by up to 5 years in prison. The court will also be required to prohibit them from driving for a period of 1 to 15 years.
A large proportion of people continue to ignore road-safety rules. This is a complete lack of imagination and common sense.
Alcohol has a huge impact on concentration, perception of reality and reaction speed—in other words, on everything essential when driving a vehicle. It has already caused many human tragedies. “Through our irresponsible behaviour, we create a huge threat to ourselves, the passengers we carry—often our closest loved ones—as well as to other road users,” says asp. szt. Paweł Petrykowski, spokesperson for the Provincial Police Headquarters in Wrocław. “That is why the response of other bystanders is also so important in such a situation, when we know or suspect that an intoxicated person is driving a vehicle or intends to get behind the wheel.”
In 2016 alone, intoxicated road users caused 1,686 accidents nationwide, in which 221 people died and 2,100 sustained injuries. In Lower Silesia, there were 134 such accidents, in which 17 people died and 165 were injured. Last year, intoxicated drivers also caused 765 collisions in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship.