Almost 40,000 Polish drivers have at least two court-imposed driving bans, with one individual having 23 bans, amid rising concerns over road safety and drunk driving.
Scale of the Problem
According to data, nearly 40,000 Polish drivers have been issued at least two court-imposed driving bans. A staggering 52 individuals have accumulated at least 10 bans, with a 30-year-old driver from Bolesławiec, Lower Silesia, holding a record 23 bans, of which 15 are active.
Government Response
The issue has prompted intervention from the Minister of Justice and Public Prosecutor General, Waldemar Żurek. He attributes the problem to lenient prosecution and sentencing, suggesting that better training for judges dealing with road safety cases could improve effectiveness.
Proposed Changes
Minister Żurek plans to introduce changes to the law, aiming to make breaking a court-imposed driving ban result in a lifetime ban. Additional measures include vehicle confiscation and increasing the minimum fine for such offenses to 10,000 zloty. The Ministry also seeks to amend the Penal Code to make conditional suspension of sentences more difficult for certain groups of offenders.
Road Safety Statistics
In 2024, drunk drivers caused 1,230 accidents, resulting in 176 fatalities and 1,441 injuries. According to the Polish Police’s Road Traffic Bureau, drunk drivers were responsible for 6.3% of all accidents, with 1944 incidents involving alcohol-impaired road users in total.
