There is a new idea for penalties for drivers. Such behavior will result in a fine of PLN 2,000. zloty
There was an idea to punish people for listening to music in headphones while driving. And this applies to both car drivers and cyclists.
At the moment, road traffic regulations do not explicitly specify that a policeman is obliged to issue a fine to the driver for listening to music through headphones while driving. It is true that he may do so on the grounds that he did not exercise due caution, but such a decision must be properly justified. Perhaps this will change soon, because a petition has been submitted to the Parliament, which assumes an absolute fine of up to PLN 2,000 for people driving – not only cars, but also bicycles – wearing headphones.
Fine for driving with headphones
The petition has already been sent to the Sejm and Senate and will now be dealt with by a special committee. As “Rzeczpospolita” wrote, according to its author (who wishes to remain anonymous), the amount of the fine “should depend on the type of vehicle – the lowest in the case of muscle-powered vehicles, and the highest in the case of trucks and vehicles for transporting more than four people.”
– This is a good idea because we must remember that 1,900 people died on our roads last year, which is 5 people a day. This means that when we get into a car, there is a potential risk of hurting someone or getting hit ourselves, and headphones that cut us off from the outside world increase the danger and risk of not seeing or hearing something. – said Marcin Grzebieluch, an instructor from the Carevent safe driving school, in an interview with TVN Turbo.
However, the possible introduction of new regulations will require a detailed analysis of the problem, because there are many different types of headphones on the market, which often differ in characteristics and available functions. Many of them allow ambient sounds to pass through, making them audible against the background of the music playing.
– There are many different types of headphones. There are headphones used by disabled and hearing-impaired people, there are headphones that reduce noise. There are also those that distract us from what is happening around the vehicle and when listening to loud music we may not even hear an approaching vehicle. – says Comm. Robert Opas from the Police Headquarters.
