Road Safety
Traffic in Poland is on the right-hand side. A vehicle moving along city streets must have its headlights on regardless of the time of day or year.
Seat belts front and rear are obligatory everywhere.
While driving a car you may use your mobile phone only with a hands-free car kit. Holding a phone while driving is forbidden.
In Poland, obligatory car equipment includes a fire-extinguisher and a warning triangle. If you don’t have them in your car, you may be fined.
Children in cars: child 1.5 metres in height cannot travel as front or rear passenger unless they use a suitable restraint system.
Poland has strict drink driving laws, only allowing 0.2 milligrams of alcohol per millilitre of blood. You will be fined if the level of alcohol in the bloodstream is above 0.02 per cent. Over this level and you will incur a fine and/or suspension of driving license. Over 0.05% and a prison sentence is very likely.
Speed limits, shown below, are implemented rigorously. Radar traps are frequent in Poland, and heavy on-the-spot fines can be levied.
ADMISSIBLE MAXIMUM SPEED
The speed limits for a highway is 140 kph, a dual carriageway is 120 kph, on an expressway single carriageway and on a non-expressway dual carriageway is 100 kph. The speed limit for non-urban area is 90 kph and for urban area is 50 kph.
A foreign and international driving license is valid in Poland for six months after the initial border-crossing. After that period you must pass the state exam (the exam is conducted in Polish).
According to the Road Traffic Law, a person on rollerblades is subject to the regulations for pedestrians and not, for example, cyclists.
Remember!
- Pedestrians are obliged to use the pavement or the road for pedestrians, or if there is no pavement or road for pedestrian, one should use a road side . If there is no sidewalk or you cannot use the sidewalk temporarily, pedestrians may use the road, provided that they move as close as possible to the edge of the road and give way to the oncoming vehicle.
- Pedestrians walking along the side of the road or the roadway is obliged to walk on the left side of the road.
- Pedestrians walking along the road are obliged to follow one another. On a road with little traffic, in good visibility conditions, two pedestrians can walk side by side.
- Using the road for bicycles is allowed only if there is no pavement or roadside or it is impossible to use them. Pedestrians, except for a disabled persons, are obliged to give way to the bicycle when using this road.
- Pedestrians moving on the road after dusk outside a built-up area are obliged to use reflective elements in a way that is visible to other traffic participants, unless they are moving on a road designed exclusively for pedestrians or on the pavement.
- In this area, pedestrians use the whole width of the road and has priority over the vehicle.
Attention!
Pedestrians, including people on rollerblades, are the least protected road users. When inline skating, do not forget the appropriate pads, helmet and reflectors.
CAR PARKING AND STOPPING
In Poland cars may be parked on marked parking areas such as car parks in residential districts and municipal attended and unattended car parks, marked with special signs.
In most cities, there are non-attended payable areas for parking on business days from Monday to Friday between 08:00 and 18:00 or 08:00 and 20:00 (hours can be different in the cities). Parking fees can be paid in parking-meters or online. The parking receipt should be placed in a visible manner behind the front windscreen.
WARNING: Parking wardens are not allowed to collect parking fees!
The stopping of cars is possible in restricted places according to information placed on road signs. Stopping in areas for disabled persons or marked by an “envelope” sign and close to gates to properties and garages is forbidden.