These figures are better than in previous years, but that does not mean there were no tragic incidents whose victims became part of this grim statistic. Excessive speed inappropriate for the traffic conditions and disregard for fundamental traffic regulations—such as failing to yield the right of way—contributed to many of them.
The holiday season is an annual period of intensive service for traffic police officers. Around 4,000 of them took to the roads every day. During the holiday period, traffic police officers throughout the country were involved in ensuring the highest possible level of safety and order on the roads. Their primary objective was to reduce the number of accidents and collisions.
During the holiday period, police recorded 5,216 accidents (in 2020—5,598; in 2019—6,289), in which 479 people died (2020—500; 2019—594), while 6,172 were injured (2020—6,525; 2019—7,462).
Since the beginning of 2021, driving licences have been revoked from 41,029 drivers for exceeding the speed limit by more than 50 km/h. This is slightly fewer such cases than during the corresponding period last year. A year earlier, driving licences had been revoked from 44,523 drivers. Since the beginning of the year, police have already detained more than 69,000 intoxicated drivers.
We remind everyone that, following the holiday break, students are returning to school. With the beginning of the new school year, increased traffic from both cars and pedestrians should be expected near educational institutions. Police patrols will certainly be present in these areas. Ensuring a safe journey to school is the officers' objective. During the first days of September, police patrols will serve in the vicinity of schools and monitor all improper conduct by road users. Before the school year began, police carried out, among other things, inspections of road signs and warning and safety devices in the vicinity of schools and educational institutions. As a result, nearly 1,500 requests for improvements were drawn up.
Let us remember to obey traffic regulations and show common sense and mutual respect on the road. September is characterized by changeable weather, which should be taken into account when driving a vehicle and when participating in road traffic as a pedestrian. Children and young people returning after a long break often forget about their own safety. Therefore, it is our duty as adults to care for their safety not only at home and at school, but also on the road. Earlier sunsets and rainfall require particular caution from everyone. After all, the shared safety of all road users depends primarily on the road users themselves.