Regarding the ban on overtaking by trucks on the Lower Silesian section of the A4, since July last year police officers have identified more than 2,400 such offences. On Thursday, 2 August, officers stopped a driver on the motorway who was operating a heavy goods vehicle after consuming alcohol.

What are the officers paying particular attention to?

The police are paying particular attention to the movement of heavy goods vehicles on expressways and motorways. Road incidents involving trucks consistently rank among those with the most tragic consequences. Failure to comply with regulations, fatigue resulting from exceeding the permitted driving time, excessive speed, overloading, alcohol and the vehicle’s technical condition remain the main causes of tragedies.

Officers will also pay particular attention to trucks overtaking in prohibited places and blocking the left lane, thereby obstructing other road users.

Where is overtaking prohibited?

The traffic police once again remind drivers that sectional bans on overtaking by heavy goods vehicles are in force on the Lower Silesian section of the A4 motorway. Since 2013, bans have been introduced, with breaks, between Pietrzykowice and Wądroże Wielkie, as well as on uphill sections near the Legnickie Pole and Lubiatów interchanges.

Since 7 June 2017, the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways, in cooperation with the Traffic Department of the Provincial Police Headquarters in Wrocław, has introduced permanent no-overtaking signs for heavy goods vehicles on further sections: between the Kostomłoty and Gościsław interchanges, in both carriageways, and between the Udanin and Budziszów interchanges, on the northern carriageway.

The total length of restrictions on the Lower Silesian section of the A4 motorway, which is more than 190 kilometres long, now exceeds 40 kilometres. The measures introduced are intended to increase the safety of road users on this section of the A4, reduce the number of accidents, minimise the traffic jams forming between Wrocław and Legnica, and improve the flow of passenger cars.

What are the penalties for overtaking on the A4?

Although the measures adopted have been in force since June this year, unfortunately not all heavy goods vehicle drivers continue to comply with the regulations and measures introduced on the motorway. To date, Lower Silesian traffic police officers, while conducting motorway safety operations, have identified more than 2,400 such offences. Let us recall that failure to comply with the overtaking ban is an offence punishable by a fine of up to PLN 500 and 5 penalty points.

What are the holiday traffic restrictions in Poland?

We also remind drivers of the holiday traffic restrictions in Poland, in force from 29 June to 2 September 2018. The ban applies to vehicles with a permitted gross weight exceeding 12 tonnes, excluding buses, throughout the country on the following days:

  • Friday (from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.)
  • Saturday (from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.)
  • Sunday (from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.).

The ban also applies on 15 August 2018 (from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.) and the preceding day, 14 August 2018 (from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.).