– In the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, 767 officers serve in road traffic units, and every day they watch over the safety of people travelling in various types of vehicles on the roads of our region. Police officers, proudly wearing white caps on their heads, feel jointly responsible for the safety of drivers and their passengers, and their commitment results year after year in a reduction in the number of serious and often tragic incidents – says asp. szt. Łukasz Dutkowiak, press officer of the Wrocław Provincial Police Headquarters.

He lists the figures:

In 2022, we recorded 1,896 accidents, in which, unfortunately, 136 people were killed and 2,228 were injured. This is 47 fewer accidents than in 2019 and 80 fewer people killed in incidents of this kind on the roads, as well as 65 fewer injured people.

But he immediately adds: – However, every accident in which a person dies is one accident too many and a tragedy for the family. Although there were 158 more accidents in 2022 than in the previous year, effective police action and changes to the regulations, which led to higher fines imposed on irresponsible drivers through the ticketing procedure, brought a clear improvement in safety on the roads of cities and counties. The effects include 43 fewer road-accident fatalities than in 2021, and 29 fewer than in 2020.

He also adds:

Analyses of the state of safety conducted by police officers show that the number of accidents last year, as well as the number of injured people, does not directly translate into an increase in the number of incidents with the most tragic consequences. Drivers comply with the applicable regulations and road-safety rules to a greater extent than in previous years and, in particular, exceed the permitted speed limits less frequently when driving vehicles. This directly affects the consequences of accidents, including reducing the severity of injuries sustained by those involved.

In 2022, 4,770 intoxicated drivers were removed from the roads. Asp. szt. Ł. Dutkowiak: – That is 107 more than in 2021, showing that we must continue fighting this situation on Polish roads. The record-holder in this disreputable ranking had more than 4 per mille of alcohol in his system when officers caught him driving his car in that condition.

Last year, officers also detained 550 drivers who decided to get behind the wheel while under the influence of intoxicating substances.

The officers showed no leniency—there was no indulgence for drivers whose irresponsible behaviour posed a real threat to other road users. Such people include, among others, drivers exceeding the speed limit. In 2022, 2,104 drivers were detained for exceeding the speed limit by more than 50 km/h in a built-up area. The spokesperson: – That is a lot, but more than 1,523 fewer than before the changes to the penalty schedule introduced at the beginning of last year. This shows that, concerned about their wallets, drivers are travelling more slowly and therefore more safely.

He concludes:

Preventive services do not stop working to improve road safety, using increasingly effective methods and modern equipment. Driver checks are no longer limited to stopping vehicles with a hand-held disc, called a “lollipop” by children, or with light and sound signals. Police officers use specialised equipment in their work to measure speed and exhaust emissions, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles, with which they monitor traffic on the roads. The work of officers serving in SPEED groups is also extremely important; mainly in unmarked police cars equipped with video recorders, they curb the recklessness and lack of common sense of some irresponsible drivers.

And he announces: – 2023 will be another year in which officers give priority to broadly understood road safety.