Whip for road pirates. Drastic penalties are planned
Drastic changes in road regulations may come in Poland, modeled on solutions from other European countries. This is another blow to road pirates.
Similar solutions have already been introduced before, for example in Germany, France and Denmark. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Infrastructure announced new, more restrictive regulations aimed at improving road safety. Here are the most important changes.
Loss of driving license. For five years
One of the most controversial changes is the introduction of a severe penalty – withdrawal of the driving license for five years for driving despite having previously suspended the license for three months. The change will replace the current extension of the ban by three months.
A mandatory prison sentence for driving under the influence of alcohol
The new regulations provide for a mandatory prison sentence for driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs or despite a court ban. Moreover, exceeding 20 penalty points will result in the loss of your driving license.
Trial period for new drivers
A trial period will also be introduced for drivers with a newly obtained category B driving license. For the first two years, they will be subject to a limit of 0.0 per mille of alcohol in their blood and speed limits: 50 km/h in built-up areas, 80 km/h outside built-up areas and 100 km/h h on highways.
Driving license for 17-year-olds – but under supervision
The minimum age for obtaining a category B driving license will be lowered to 17 years, but a young driver will only be able to drive a car under the supervision of an adult with at least 5 years of driving experience.
Tougher penalties. What for?
Drivers exceeding the speed limit by more than 50 km/h outside built-up areas will also lose their driving license for three months. Additionally, participation in illegal races and reckless driving, including drifting, will result in confiscation of licenses for a similar period and entry into the CEP, which will result in higher third-party liability insurance premiums.
New obligations for vehicle owners
Vehicle owners who fail to identify the perpetrator of an offense caught by a speed camera will be punished with an administrative fine. The new regulations are also intended to make it more difficult to avoid penalties for tickets issued based on speed cameras.
To sum up, the strict changes are intended to effectively deter breaking road rules and improve safety on Polish roads.
