Poland kills the most pedestrians – our country is still the leader in the infamous EU statistics

According to official police statistics, in 2019, 793 pedestrians were killed and 6,361 people were injured on Polish roads. Most accidents occurred in the autumn and winter months, when pedestrians are much less visible on the road due to the shorter and shorter days. That is why, since 2016, following the example of Scandinavia, the Day of Reflectors has been organized throughout the country.

At first glance, road safety in our country is improving. The 30,288 accidents that occurred in 2019 are significantly fewer than in 2010 (38,832 accidents) or a year later (40,065 accidents). Unfortunately, this is largely an apparent improvement in the situation, because on average more and more people die on the roads – the number of accidents is decreasing, and the number of victims has remained at a similar level of about three thousand deaths per year for years. In all statistics on road safety, our country is doing worse than the average in the European Union. The Scandinavian countries are a model here. According to Eurostat data, Norway and Sweden have about 20 road fatalities per million inhabitants. In Poland, this statistic looks nearly four times worse – for every million inhabitants we have approx. 75 fatalities in road accidents. Compared to EU countries, we are also doing very badly in securing the least protected road users, i.e. pedestrians.

Education, visibility, and infrastructure

Since we joined the European Union, there has not been a single year in which we have not been the leader of the infamous list of countries where the most pedestrians are killed. The situation is changing for the better, but it is a change from disastrous (1951 pedestrian casualties in 2007) to very bad (793 casualties in 2019). At the same time, the Norwegians reduced the number of deaths among pedestrians from 23 to 15.

– In Poland, a serious problem of road safety for many years has been the high number of hit-and-run pedestrians. The share of pedestrians killed among all those killed on the roads is also high. However, it is important to systematically improve the safety of vulnerable road users in recent years – emphasizes Commissioner Robert Opas from the Road Traffic Bureau of the National Police Headquarters. And he adds: – Many of the victims are not drunk or invisible pedestrians or cyclists. The victims are often children and the elderly. Ensuring security is not only the responsibility of the Police. The state of safety of pedestrians and cyclists depends on a number of factors and activities of many entities, as well as: road infrastructure, awareness and preparation of road users, applicable regulations and the degree of their compliance or technological solutions in the field of vehicle construction.

As the representative of the National Police Headquarters emphasized, ensuring the safety of pedestrians is not only a task for the services, but also a joint action of many entities.

– The statistics are improving, but we still have a lot of work ahead of us to catch up with countries where roads are safe for pedestrians. The elderly and children are the most vulnerable, and they can only be protected by knowledge of the regulations, vigilance and responsibility. In order to improve their safety, it is necessary to act in many ways, teaching appropriate behavior on the road, but also taking care of the infrastructure in sensitive places or equipping pedestrians with reflective elements. As part of the Hello ICE program, we focus on activities aimed at the youngest road users, believing that in this way we change not only the present, but above all the future –Says Katarzyna Wójcik, expert on communication at Budimex.

On the one hand, it is crucial to educate all road users, both vehicle drivers and pedestrians themselves. On the other hand, the experience of the Nordic countries clearly shows that the adaptation of infrastructure plays an extremely important role – the construction of pavements, slowdowns, lighting, or testing new solutions, such as 3D lanes. In northern countries, such as Poland, where darkness falls very early in autumn and winter, it is necessary to take maximum care of visibility on the roads. This is where popular reflectors come to the rescue.

Life-saving seconds

The Day of Reflectors, organized in Poland since 2016, on October 1, is an idea initiated by the Norwegians – a nation that can be a model when it comes to road safety. In our country, the initiative is supported by the National Police Headquarters. The beginning of October is a symbolic beginning of the autumn and winter period on our roads, the worst period in terms of the number of accidents involving pedestrians, when over 60% of all incidents occur. Most of them are caused by drivers who do not adjust their speed to the road conditions and limited visibility. A pedestrian properly equipped with visible reflective elements gives the driver additional seconds to react. This is a time that often saves lives.

– In autumn and winter, weather conditions change, the days become shorter and shorter, which affects poor visibility on the road. The driver notices a pedestrian later than usual, especially one dressed in dark clothing. The colour of outerwear has an impact on the safety of pedestrians. On an unlit road, in dark jackets, we are hardly visible to drivers. The use of reflective elements increases the visibility of the pedestrian several times. Statistics clearly show that pedestrian victims of most accidents in 2020 did not have reflective elements on. In accordance with the provisions of the Road Traffic Act, pedestrians who move on the road after dusk outside built-up areas are obliged to use reflective elements in a way that is visible to other road users – says Commissioner Robert Opas.

Darkness is the biggest enemy of pedestrians – police statistics show that between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. there are 1/3 of all accidents involving pedestrians. In the morning, although children go to school and adults to work, the number of accidents is marginal – this is due to our climate and the fact that it gets light relatively early. However, after the abolition of the change to winter time planned by the European Union for 2022, the way to school will also often take place before sunrise. That is why the Day of Reflectors is such an important initiative, the aim of which is to sensitize pedestrians to the importance of taking care of their good visibility on the road.

– We wholeheartedly support this initiative. Each, even the smallest action to improve pedestrian safety is extremely important. I hope that one day Polish roads will be so safe that we will not only cease to be at the European tail in this respect, but we will be able to set an example. For now, however, let’s shine reflectors, slow down before pedestrian crossings and be kind and responsible on the roads – appeals Katarzyna Wójcik.