Drunk-driving causes every 10th accident in Poland. However, over 14% of all victims die in them. Who sits behind the wheel after an alkohol?
Social approval for drunk driving is slowly becoming a thing of the past. As a society, we are increasingly aware of the consequences of such behaviour, and instances where a public figure is caught doing so are associated with widespread condemnation. Statistics show, however, that there is still much to be done in this field.
WHO IS DRIVING DRUNK?
According to the data of the Motor Transport Institute for 2022, as many as 65% of drunk perpetrators of road accidents get into a passenger car after drinking alcohol. 12% are motorcyclists and moped riders. Drunk-driving cyclists are responsible for 11% of these accidents.
Among the drunk drivers causing accidents, scooter drivers (4%), trucks (4%) and buses (1%) are on the margin. This does not change the fact that even among professional drivers, such situations unfortunately still take place.
Most accidents involving drunk drivers occur on weekends (19% on Saturdays, 17.9% on Sundays). This, of course, has to do with how we use alcohol as a society. Only 1.6% of Poles declare that they consume alcoholic beverages every day, but nearly half admit that they do so once a week.
Most accidents involving drunk drivers occur in the afternoon and evening (between 16:00 and 22:00). Their direct cause is usually too high speed, failure to give way and failure to keep a safe distance.
The average drunk driver in a collision is 25-39 years old and twice as likely to be male than female.
WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES FOR DRIVING DRUNK?
The permissible blood alcohol level is not harmonised at the level of the European Union. In Poland it is 0.2 per mille. It is worth knowing that up to 0.5 per mille in our country we talk about the state after drinking alcohol, which is punishable by “only” 15 points, penalty points, a driving ban from 6 to 36 months and a fine (PLN 2,500 – 30,000). A driver who has more than 0.5 per mille must take into account more serious sanctions, including imprisonment.
There are countries in Europe where only the level of 0.5 per mille is considered dangerous. However, it is worth being aware that these standards apply to drivers of private passenger cars. Separate (more restrictive) regulations usually apply to professional drivers or people shortly after obtaining the license.
There is no excuse for driving under the influence of alcohol, not only police officers, courts, but also … insurance companies. If the driver causes an accident under the influence of alcohol, there is nothing to count on money from the insurer. In the event of injury to third parties, the insurance company will pay for their treatment, but then demand reimbursement from the offender. The PLN 60,000 fine for the Victims’ Assistance and Post-Penitentiary Assistance Fund may therefore be only the beginning of expenses for a drunk driver.
LET’S CONDEMN ALCOHOL DRIVING!
How to deal with driving under the influence? The most important thing is, of course, not to do it yourself and to sit behind the wheel only when we are 100% sure that we are sober. However, it is also worth keeping our eyes and ears open and reacting appropriately when we encounter such behaviour in our environment.
Want to drive safely? Be sure to read our text about the 7 deadly sins of drivers!
English 
Polish