Fines in Poland have remained unchanged for 16 years. According to road-traffic experts, the PLN 500 fine, nowadays, makes no impression on drivers. When it was established, it amounted to one-quarter of the average salary. Today, it is one-tenth of that salary, and its effectiveness as a punishment is doubtful. Some claim that it is not a punishment at all, but merely something like wagging a finger, and that it completely fails to serve its purpose.
Czy mandaty w Polsce powinny radykalnie wzrosnąć?
As reported by RMF.FM, fines are to increase threefold. Thus, instead of PLN 500, we will pay PLN 1,500. Officially, the government denies that it is working on changes to the fine schedule, but according to the station reporter’s findings, this will be one of the first matters addressed by the new government.
Should fines increase radically? Will tougher penalties serve their purpose? Will Polish roads become safer? It is no secret that Polish drivers obey the rules as soon as they travel abroad. Everyone knows perfectly well that fines abroad are high. Perhaps, then, the secret of safer driving lies precisely in the level of penalties.