Highway to hell

In 2005 there were around 48,000 road accidents in Poland in which nearly 5,500 people were killed and over 61,000 injured. In Poland 11 people die for every 100 accidents, while the EU average is six.

Driving after consuming alcohol is another grave problem in Poland. Police statistics show that drunk drivers caused more than 4,000 road accidents in 2005, in which more than 500 people were killed.

The high number of road-accident victims has led the Ministry of Health to propose amendments to the health services law. One of the proposals states that the costs of treating victims of car accidents will be borne by third-party insurance. Insurance companies will have to pay 20 percent of the premiums to the National Health Fund (NFZ). The Polish Chamber of Insurance (PIU) calculates that this could mean premiums could go up by as much as 30-33 percent.

Another proposal is aimed at drunk driving. The Ministry proposes that drivers should declare if they have ever been convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol. If so, their insurance premiums could be two to three times higher. 

The high number of road accidents has also caused industries to react. Polish Breweries - an association of beer producers - has signed the European Road Safety Charter, which is a European Commission project aimed at increasing road safety and reducing the number of fatal road accidents. By signing the charter, the association has promised to join a campaign aimed at educating society about safe conduct on the road and the dangers of driving under the influence.