COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Monitoring Road Safety Progress in the EU - Poland Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Report on the Implementation of the EU Road Safety Policy Framework at the Mid-Point
Date: 2026-02-13
Institutions: Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, European Commission
Subjects: EU investment, Poland, accident prevention, common transport policy, innovation, road safety, road transport, transport accident, transport infrastructure, transport statistics

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 13.2.2026  SWD(2026) 53 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Monitoring Road Safety Progress in the EU - Poland Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Report on the Implementation of the EU Road Safety Policy Framework at the Mid-Point {COM(2026) 77 final} - {SWD(2026) 33 final} - {SWD(2026) 34 final} - {SWD(2026) 35 final} - {SWD(2026) 36 final} - {SWD(2026) 37 final} - {SWD(2026) 38 final} - {SWD(2026) 39 final} - {SWD(2026) 40 final} - {SWD(2026) 41 final} - {SWD(2026) 42 final} - {SWD(2026) 43 final} - {SWD(2026) 44 final} - {SWD(2026) 45 final} - {SWD(2026) 46 final} - {SWD(2026) 47 final} - {SWD(2026) 48 final} - {SWD(2026) 49 final} - {SWD(2026) 50 final} - {SWD(2026) 51 final} - {SWD(2026) 52 final} - {SWD(2026) 54 final} - {SWD(2026) 55 final} - {SWD(2026) 56 final} - {SWD(2026) 57 final} - {SWD(2026) 58 final} - {SWD(2026) 59 final}  
 
 
Contents 

1. Summary .................................................................................................................... 2 

2. Road Safety Strategy and Measures .......................................................................... 2 

2.1 Road Safety Strategy............................................................................................ 2 

2.2 Road Safety Governance...................................................................................... 3 

2.3 Main Safety Issues ............................................................................................... 3 

2.4 Road Safety Targets ............................................................................................. 3 

2.5 Road Safety Measures.......................................................................................... 4 

3. Road Safety Progress ................................................................................................. 4 

3.1 Road Safety Outcomes ......................................................................................... 4 

3.2 Road Safety Performance Indicators ................................................................... 7 

4. Monitoring Road Safety Strategy Implementation .................................................... 9 

4.1 Implementation Progress ..................................................................................... 9 

5. Conclusions and Recommendations ........................................................................ 11 

1 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1. Summary 

In  2024,  Poland  was  above  the  EU  average  (45),  with  52  fatalities  per  million  inhabitants. 
Compared to 2019, an impressive decrease of 35% was achieved. In 2024, 7,796 people were 
seriously injured in road crashes, which is 27% lower than the respective figure in 2019.  

Compared to the EU average, the distribution of fatalities in Poland showed a high proportion 
of  pedestrians  and  fatalities  inside  urban  areas.  There  is  also  a  high  number  of  crashes 
characterised by extremely high severity which points at the consequences of excessive driving 
speeds.  

In  the  National  Road  Safety  Programme  2021-2030  of  Poland,  the  targets  of  halving  the 
numbers of road fatalities and serious injuries by 2030 compared to 2019 have been set. In 
addition,  key  monitoring  indicators  have  been  defined  in  the  strategy,  which  are  linked  to 
specific pillars. A total of 63 directions of action grouped into 16 areas of intervention and 
five pillars are included in the Road Safety Programme.  

Based on the latest available data, Poland is well on track to meet the 2030 targets. More 
specifically, the observed number of fatalities was about 16% lower than the target value for 
2024. Also, the observed number of serious injuries was 5% lower  than the target value for 
2024. 

Regarding the progress of the implementation of the road safety actions foreseen in the national 
strategy  for  the  period  2021-2024,  there  is  a  smooth  implementation  flow  without  any 
particular gaps being reported. Based on the self-reported assessment, Poland starts from a 
high level in all examined road safety areas. Furthermore, all measures planned for this period 
are well on track. It is noted that measures related to the pillar of Vehicle Safety have not been 
planned for this period.  

The National strategy foresees a review in 2025 and a new Action Plan for the period 2026-27 
will  be  prepared.  In  addition,  new  legislation  is  currently  under  preparation  for  the  worst 
behavioural issues such as drink driving where sanctions and penalties will be strengthened. 

Finally,  the  implementation  of  the  road  safety  strategy  in  Poland  seems  to  be  progressing 
smoothly in all areas in the period 2021-2024, which is also reflected in the positive progress 
made in the evolution of the number of road fatalities and serious injuries, with Poland being 
on track to meet 2030 targets.  

2. Road Safety Strategy and Measures 

2.1 Road Safety Strategy 

The  National  Road  Safety  Programme  2021-2030  (NRSP)  has  been  prepared  based  on 
experiences  coming  from  previous  prevention  programmes,  taking  into  account  the  latest 
trends  and  the  most  effective  solutions,  with  a  clearly  defined  vision  and  principles  of 
implementation.  

In addition, the NRSP is a document fulfilling the basic condition for the transport sector in 
Poland, included under the Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying 
down common provisions on the Cohesion Policy funds in the 2021-2027 financial perspective.  

2 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The NRSP is the national strategy for road safety, which summarises the assessment of the 
risks existing on Polish roads. The NRSP is complemented by documents creating a financial 
framework  for  the  implementation  of  infrastructure  investments,  i.e.  the  National  Road 
Construction Programme 2014-2023 and its continuation, the National  Programme to  Build 
100 bypasses in the 2020-2030 period, the Safe Road Infrastructure Programme 2021-2024, 
and the National Road Maintenance Programme 2020-2030 containing elements of road safety, 
which will continue the assumptions of the Safe Road Infrastructure Programme 2021-2024 
from 2025 on-wards. 

Table 22.1: National road safety strategy  

Timeframe 
Lead Authority 

Poland 
2021-2030 
National Road Safety Council 

Link 

https://www.krbrd.gov.pl/programy-brd/narodowe-programy-brd/ 

2.2 Road Safety Governance 

The National Road Safety Council (KRBRD), an inter-ministerial advisory and auxiliary body 
to the Council of Ministers on road safety issues, is responsible for the  formulation of the 
national  road  safety  strategy  and  the  monitoring  of  road  safety  developments  in  the 
country.  

2.3 Main Safety Issues 
Based on the results of 2019, the following road safety issues have arisen for Poland1: 

•  The basic problem is the extremely  high severity of road crashes. In 2018-2019, a 
decrease in the number of crashes and injuries was observed, but the number of fatalities 
increased. 

•  The highest  number of crashes  characterised by  extremely high  severity  are in  most 
cases  the  consequence  of  excessive  driving  speed.  This  category  includes  vehicle 
collisions, hitting pedestrians or collisions with a tree.  

•  A key problem of road traffic safety in Poland is an extremely high risk for vulnerable 
road users. In 2019, VRUs accounted for 48.6% of fatalities and 49.2% of seriously 
injured victims. 

•  The greatest risk of being a fatality in a road crash in Poland concerns young people 
between  the  ages  of  18  and  24  (136  fatalities  per  million  population),  followed  by 
seniors aged more than 60 years old (95 fatalities per million population). 

2.4 Road Safety Targets 

The  following  targets  have  been  set  at  the  National  Road  Safety  Programme  2021-2030  of 
Poland: 

1 National Road Safety Council. (2024). National Road Safety Program 2021-2030. Available at: 
https://www.krbrd.gov.pl/programy-brd/narodowe-programy-brd/ 

3 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
•  By 2030, a 50% reduction in fatalities compared to 2019 

•  By 2030, a 50% reduction in serious injuries compared to 2019 

Additionally, a set of key monitoring indicators has been defined in the National Road Safety 
Programme, which are linked to a specific pillar. 

2.5 Road Safety Measures 

A total of 63 directions of action grouped into 16 areas of intervention and five pillars are 
included in the National Road Safety Programme of Poland1.  

Table 22.2: Road safety pillars and number of actions 

Pillar 

1.  Road Safety Management System 

Areas of 
intervention 
7 

Directions of 
action 
16 

2.  Safe Road User 

3.  Safe Roads 

4.  Safe Vehicles 

5.  Rescue Services and post-crash response 

Total 

2 

3 

2 

2 

16 

10 

17 

9 

11 

63 

In the near future, the Government plans to implement the following legislative changes:  
•  allowing driving from the age of 17, with a trial period including stricter speed limits and 
zero tolerance for alcohol. Young drivers will have to drive under the supervision of an 
experienced driver in the first months;  

•  extending the possibility of withdrawing a driving license outside built-up areas on single-
carriageway two-way roads for driving at a speed of more than 50 km/h above the limit;  

•  eliminating recidivists with multiple driving bans from road traffic;  
•  severe prosecution and punishment of illegal racing and drifting;  
•  higher penalties for flagrantly dangerous, reckless driving. Increased penalties for a fatal 
accident (as part of an illegal race, flagrantly dangerous, reckless driving or breaking a 
driving ban). 

3. Road Safety Progress 

3.1 Road Safety Outcomes 

In Poland, 1,896 people were killed and 7,793 people were seriously injured in road crashes in 
2024. Based on data for 2024, Poland ranked 21st out of the 27 EU countries in terms of the 
lowest  numbers  of  fatalities  per  million  inhabitants.  In  fact,  52  road  fatalities  per  million 
inhabitants were recorded that year, which is above the EU average (45).  

4 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 22.1 Mortality rates by country, 2024  

Sources: CARE database on road crashes; population data from Eurostat (online data code demo_pjan). 

Compared to 2019, a decrease of 35% in road fatalities was recorded in 2024. Also, the number 
of serious injuries fell significantly, recording a decrease of 27% between 2019 and 2024. Thus, 
Poland is well on track to meet the 2030 targets of halving the numbers of fatalities and 
serious injuries.  

Figure 22.2 Road fatalities and target 2030 
(Source CARE database) 2 

2 It is noted that the global COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on the CARE data for 2020 and 2021 for many 
European countries. Traffic volumes dropped sharply during the pandemic due to traffic restrictions, which was 
associated with a significant drop in road traffic crashes and fatalities. 

5 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 22.3 Serious road injuries  
(Source: CARE database) 

Compared to the EU average, the distribution of fatalities in Poland showed a high proportion 
of pedestrians and fatalities inside urban areas3. In fact, 23% of killed people in road crashes 
were pedestrians in 2024 and 37% of road crash fatalities occurred inside urban areas. Also, 
the share of fatalities and serious injuries on motorways in Poland is very low. 

An overview of the evolution of road fatalities and serious injuries for the years 2019 and 2024 
(year with the latest available detailed crash data) is provided below for specific types of roads, 
crashes and road users. Overall, in Poland, serious injuries declined for all groups examined. 
The decrease in seriously injured car occupants (38%) was higher than the decrease in the total 
number of serious injuries (27%). 

The number of road fatalities also decreased in 2024 for all groups examined. The highest 
decreases were recorded among pedestrian fatalities (46%) and cyclist fatalities (34%). 

3  European  Commission  (2023),  Country  Profile  Poland.  Road  Safety  Observatory.  Brussels,  European 
Commission, Directorate General for Transport. 

6 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 22.3: Evolution of road fatalities, 2019-2024 

Fatalities 

Total road fatalities 

Inside urban areas 

Outside urban areas 

Motorways 

Single vehicle crashes 

Multi vehicle crashes 

Car occupants 

PTW riders 

Cyclists 

Pedestrians 

2019 

2,909 

1,177 

1,662 

70 

700 

1,455 

1,333 

382 

258 

793 

2024 

1,896 

695 

1,137 

64 

532 

965 

908 

268 

169 

428 

%  
in 2024 

% change 
2019-2024 

- 

37% 

60% 

3% 

28% 

51% 

48% 

14% 

9% 

23% 

-35% 

-41% 

-32% 

-9% 

-24% 

-34% 

-32% 

-30% 

-34% 

-46% 

Table 22.4: Evolution of serious injuries, 2019-2024 

Serious Injuries 

Total serious injuries 

Inside urban areas 

Outside urban areas 

Motorways 

Single vehicle crashes 

Multi vehicle crashes 

Car occupants 

PTW riders 

Cyclists 

Pedestrians 

2019 

10,633 

7,015 

3,460 

158 

2,220 

5,976 

4,584 

1,516 

1,371 

2,474 

2024 

7,796 

5,079 

2,582 

135 

1,674 

4,409 

2,847 

1,353 

1,161 

1,730 

%  
in 2024 

% change 
2019-2024 

- 

65% 

33% 

2% 

21% 

57% 

37% 

17% 

15% 

22% 

-27% 

-28% 

-25% 

-15% 

-25% 

-26% 

-38% 

-11% 

-15% 

-30% 

3.2 Road Safety Performance Indicators 

The  use  rates  of  seat-belts  and  child  restraint  systems  (CRS)  are  higher  in  Poland  than  the 
respective EU rates. Furthermore, self-reported drink-driving is at a much lower level than the 
EU average. The Polish passenger car fleet is older than the EU average. 

7 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Front 
Rear 
Child restraint systems 
(roadside observations) 
Child restraint systems (in-
vehicle inspections) 
Helmet use rates (%) a 

PTW driver 
PTW passenger 
Cyclist 

DUI of Alcoholc 
(self-reported) 

% of car drivers who have 
driven at least once in the 
last 30 days over the legal 
limit 

Driver Distraction a 

% of drivers not using 
hand-held mobile 
device/phone while 
driving 

Vehicle Safety 

Table 22.5: Road Safety Performance Indicators, 2022 – 2025 (Source: ERSO, Country 
Profiles) 

Poland 

EU 

2022 

2025 

2022 

2025 

Speeding4 
% of passenger cars travelling within speed limits a 

Motorways  

Rural Roads 
Urban Roads 

54.0 

51.9 
20.5 

36.0 (120 km/h) 
63.0 (140 km/h) 
56.0 
23.0 

Seat belt & CRS use rates (%) a*,b 

95.6 
88.2 

93.1 

/ 

99.5 
100.0 
20.9 

97.4 
89.5 

96.3 

/ 

99.8 
- 
24.4 

- 

- 
- 

93.1 
75.3 

67.0 

- 

97.0 
94.4 
37.8 

- 

- 
- 

92.4 
69.9 

83.3 

- 

97.6 
97.0 
34.5 

4.2 

- 

11.8 

11.8 

95.0 

96.6 

94.8 

94.5 

- 

% of new passenger cars 
rated with 4 EuroNCAP 
stars and above a 
Average age of passenger 
car fleet (years)d 
Sources: a Baseline and Trendline projects, b ETSC (2022), c ESRA3 project (2024), d ACEA (2024, 2025), Notes: 
*2025 data only for weekdays 

83.6 

12.3 

15.1 

14.9 

12.5 

82.7 

- 

4 An EU average is not available for speeding, due to different legal speed limits among countries, which does not 
allow for a straightforward comparison.  

8 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4. Monitoring Road Safety Strategy Implementation 

4.1 Implementation Progress 

Road Safety Management 

Poland starts from a high level in all road safety areas related to Road Safety Management. 
All measures are on track.  

The structure of the National Road Safety Authority is defined by national regulations. The 
regulations related to road safety are implemented on a regular basis. The National Road Safety 
Observatory exists within the Motor Transport Institute - a member of the National Road Safety 
Council. 

Table 22.6: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to road 
safety management 

B1 

Road Safety Management 

1 

2 

3 

4 

National road safety authority 

National road safety budget 

Road safety legislation 

National road safety observatory 

Safe Road User Behaviour 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 
high 

high 

high 

high 

Progress 
(2021-2024) 
on track 

on track 

on track 

on track 

Poland starts from a high level in all road safety areas related to safe Road User Behaviour. 
All measures are on track. 

Regarding enforcement, 336 devices for the monitoring of speed limits and compliance with 
traffic lights were installed in 2023. Communication campaigns are carried out on an ongoing 
basis at both the central and regional levels.  

Table 22.7: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to road 
user behaviour 

B2 

Safe Road User Behaviour 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

Enforcement 

Education 

New drivers training 

Communication campaigns 

Measures for vulnerable road users 

Measures for professional drivers 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 
high 

Progress 
(2021-2024) 
on track 

high 

high 

high 

high 

- 

on track 

on track 

on track 

on track 

- 

9 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Safe Speeds 

Regarding the Safe Speeds pillar, Poland starts from a high level in all road safety areas. All 
measures are on track. 

The update of speed limits is carried out continuously by road managers and is based on road 
safety inspections. The enforcement of speeding is carried out as planned by the supervision 
services (Police and automatic supervision of the Road Transport Inspection). Campaigns on 
speeding  are  conducted  by  members  of  the  National  Road  Safety  Council.  Finally,  the 
monitoring  of  speeding  is  carried  out  by  the  supervision  services  and  scientific  research  is 
conducted by the Secretariat of the National Road Safety Council. 

Table 22.8: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to safe 
speeds 

B3 

Safe Speeds 

1 

2 

3 

4 

Update of speed limits 

Enforcing speed limits 

Campaigns on speeding 

Monitoring speeding 

Safe Roads 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 
high 

high 

high 

high 

Progress 
(2021-2024) 
on track 

on track 

on track 

on track 

Regarding the Safe Roads pillar, Poland starts from a high level in all road safety areas. All 
measures are on track. 

Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) are developed by city authorities. City authorities 
are also responsible for road safety interventions on urban infrastructure. Safety interventions 
on rural roads are implemented through action plans of regional road safety councils and road 
managers. Also, the motorways safety management is a main task of the national road manager 
-  GDDKiA  (General  Directorate  for  National  Roads  and  Motorways).  Finally,  road  safety 
audits and inspections are implemented by the national road administrator and provincial road 
authorities in accordance with EU legislation. 

Table 22.9: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to safe 
roads 

B4 

Safe Roads 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

City mobility & safety plans 

Urban infrastructure for VRUs 

Rural roads safety interventions 

Motorways safety management 

Road design standards 

Road safety audit and inspection 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 
high 

Progress 
(2021-2024) 
on track 

high 

high 

high 

high 

high 

on track 

on track 

on track 

on track 

on track 

10 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Safe Vehicles 

In relation to the pillar of Safe Vehicles, Poland starts from a high level in all road safety areas. 
No measures related to this pillar have been planned in the road safety strategy for the examined 
period.  

Table 22.10: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to safe 
vehicles 

B5 

Safe Vehicles 

1 

2 

3 

4 

Fleet renewal 

Promotion of ADAS 

Technical vehicle inspection 

Automation preparation 

Post Crash Care 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 
high 

Progress 
(2021-2024) 
- 

high 

high 

high 

- 

- 

- 

Regarding the Post-Crash Care pillar, Poland starts from a high level in both road safety areas. 
All  measures  are  on  track.  These  measures  are  implemented  by  the  State  Medical  Rescue 
Service on a continuous basis under the supervision of the Minister of Health. 

Table 22.11: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to post 
crash care 

B6 

Post Crash Care 

1 

2 

Reduce EMS reaction time 

Support people injured 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 
high 

high 

Progress 
(2021-2024) 
on track 

on track 

5. Conclusions and Recommendations 

In  the  National  Road  Safety  Programme  2021-2030  of  Poland,  the  targets  of  halving  the 
numbers of road fatalities and serious injuries by 2030 compared to 2019 have been set. A 
total of 63 directions of action grouped into 16 areas of intervention and 5 pillars are included 
in the Road Safety Programme. 

In 2024, Poland ranked 21st out of the 27 European Union countries in terms of the lowest 
fatality rates per population, with 52 road fatalities per million inhabitants (EU average of 45). 
Compared to the EU average, the distribution of fatalities in Poland showed a high proportion 
of pedestrians and fatalities on roads inside built-up areas. 

Based on data, between 2019 and 2024, a decrease of 35% in road fatalities was recorded. The 
number of serious injuries decreased by 27% over the period 2019-2024. Also, road crash 
fatalities and serious injuries declined for all groups examined over this period.   

11 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Regarding the progress of the implementation of the road safety actions foreseen in the national 
strategy  for  the  period  2021-2024,  there  is  a  smooth  implementation  flow  without  any 
particular gaps being reported. There is also strong political support for road safety in Poland. 
All foreseen measures in the current strategy are well on track, which is also reflected in the 
progress made in terms of road safety outcomes (fatalities and serious injuries). Poland is well 
on track to meet both 2030 targets. 

12