An average of 9 percent. adult Europeans consume alcohol daily. In Poland, it is only 1.6 percent. The percentage of drivers in Europe who report drunk driving ranges from 5% to 34% in Hungary. in Portugal. In Poland it is 6.8 percent. Why is it so bad when the statistics show it’s good?
To the question: Have you driven a vehicle while intoxicated in the last 30 days, 6.8% of Poles answered yes, while the EU average was 20.6%. 46 percent of Polish drivers also state that they pass vehicle inspections at least once a year, while the European average is only 18 percent. - the results of the analysis of the Autotransport Institute.
Data from the National Alcohol Problems Agency (PARPA) and the European Commission show that Poles drink less than the European average. Poland is also a country where a relatively low percentage of adults report drinking alcohol every day. According to Eurostat (data for 2019), the largest number of residents who drink alcohol every day is recorded in Portugal (20.7%). The European average is 9%. adults who drink alcohol daily. In Poland, it is only 1.6 percent.
In the latest edition of the international project ESRA (Public Opinion Survey around the World), in which the Motor Transport Institute participated, 35,000 people were interviewed using a single questionnaire. people from 32 countries. There were also questions about alcohol. In Europe, the proportion of drivers reporting drunk driving varies considerably, from 5% to 34% in Hungary. in Portugal.
Drinking and driving in Europe
When asked: Have you driven under the influence of alcohol in the last 30 days, 6.8% of Poles answered yes, when the EU average was 20.6 percent. The highest percentages of people reporting drunk driving were in Portugal (34%), Switzerland (34%) and Belgium (33%). By gender, men are twice as likely to admit to driving while intoxicated. By age, young drivers (18-24 years old) most often reported driving under the influence of alcohol. To the question: Do you allow driving while intoxicated 2.1 percent. The Poles answered in the affirmative and this result is at the level of the European average.
The data shows that 46% of Polish drivers claim to be tested for alcohol at least once a year, while the European average is only 18%. It is worth recalling that 2018 and 2019 were the years when the annual number of sobriety tests was the highest at over 16.5 million tests. The same applies to the probability of being stopped for a sobriety test on the road - 53 percent. Polish drivers believe that they can be stopped for control at any time, the highest result in the EU, where the average among the countries surveyed was 22.5 percent. - says prof. Marcin Schlenzak, Director of the Automotive Institute.
European statistics
The Motor Transport Institute is a member of the European consortium that has implemented the Baseline international project. Its aim was to study the KPI road safety performance in the EU countries in order to assess its level and changes that will occur in the next decade of road safety activities. In 2020-2022, 15 European countries have set five core indicators, including a measure of the effectiveness of alcohol consumption.
In 8 countries, the data needed to determine this indicator were collected through spot checks on the roads by the police. Measurements were taken on weekdays and weekends, day and night, on motorways, roads in and outside of built-up areas. In Poland, the study was carried out across the country in 16 voivodeships, in a total of 64 randomly selected locations in and outside the localities.
– Poland ranks second (after Latvia) with a score of 99.7 percent. sober drivers - 0.3 percent of drivers were under the influence of alcohol. The following places: Portugal 99.2 percent, Greece 98.8 percent, Belgium 98.4 percent, Spain 97.6 percent. and Luxembourg 97.3 percent. If we compare the data on the amount of alcohol consumed, we can see that this is not translated into road traffic, since social awareness of the risks associated with alcohol in road traffic is high (according to the ESRA study, less than 2% of respondents take up driving after drinking alcohol) says Maria Dombrowska-Lorantz, head of the ITS Road Safety Center.
Road traffic accidents involving alcohol in Poland
Since a relatively small number of drivers (0.3%) who drive under the influence of alcohol are involved in traffic, how much more risk is caused by these drivers, since as many as 11% of drivers drive under the influence of alcohol. accidents occur with their participation?
As of 2022:
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10.5% of the participants were under the influence of alcohol. of all accidents, 14% died in these accidents. total death toll and 11 percent. injured.
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Crashes involving alcohol are more serious, with a severity of 13 deaths per 100 crashes compared to 10 deaths per 100 crashes for all crashes.
Drunken drivers are the culprits of the accident:
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65 percent are car drivers,
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11 percent bikers,
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12 percent motorcycle, moped,
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4 percent scooter,
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4 percent truckers,
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1 percent bus drivers
More than 40 percent of crashes involving drunk drivers occur on weekends. Persons under the influence of alcohol were most often involved in traffic accidents on the last days of the week: Saturday (19.0%) and Sunday (17.9%).
Causes of accidents
The majority of traffic accidents occurred due to the fault of drivers in a state of alcoholic intoxication as a result of non-compliance with the speed of movement in accordance with traffic conditions, non-cession of the priority right of movement, non-observance of a safe distance.
- When analyzing the age structure of drivers who are in a state of intoxication, most accidents occur due to the fault of people in the age group of 25-39 years. Most accidents were caused by drivers under the influence of alcohol between May and August (mainly in June and July). In 2022, compared to 2021, there was an increase in the number of identified drivers in a state of intoxication (after drinking and intoxicated) by 2,575 people, and the number of sobriety tests increased by 4,181,250, adds prof. Marcin Slezak.
Pedestrians under the influence of alcohol
Pedestrians under the influence of alcohol caused 299 accidents. As a result, 43 people died and 261 were injured. Compared to 2021, the number of accidents caused by this group of road users increased by 4 (+1.4%).
– The main causes of traffic accidents due to the fault of pedestrians in a state of alcoholic intoxication include: careless exit onto the roadway in front of a moving vehicle - 160 road accidents (i.e. 53.5% of all events due to the fault of pedestrians in a state of alcoholic intoxication). Intoxicated pedestrians are the most common cause of accidents in autumn and winter, which coincides with the general trend of accidents caused by this group, explains Maria Dombrovska-Lorantz from ITS.
Source: Wprost
I am Jason Root. I work in the news website industry and mostly cover the automobile industry. I have also written for Daily News Hack. My work revolves around new car models, prices, and features. In addition, I often write about used cars and tips for buying them. My articles are meant to be helpful for those who are in the market for a new or used car.
