In 2013 new National Road Safety Programme 2013-2020 was developed, which aims to reduce the number of fatalities in 2020 by 50% and seriously injured by 40%, in relation to 2010.
Programme objectives
The new Road Safety Programme 2013-2020, apart from objectives regarding only fatalities decrease – as it was the case in previous programmes – also emphasizes the problem of seriously injured. Two main objectives to be reached until 2020 are established to implement the long-term vision:
• to limit the annual number of fatalities by at least 50% until 2020, which means a maximum of 2 000 of fatalities in 2020, in relation to 2010,
• to limit the annual number of seriously injured by at least 40% until 2020, which means no more than 6 900 of seriously injured in 2020, in relation to 2010.
There are also two stage objectives:
• in 2014 – maximum number of fatalities: 3 000, seriously injured: 9 400,
• in 2017 – maximum number of fatalities: 2 400, seriously injured: 8 000.
Programme structure
With regard to the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020, as well as to Transport Development Strategy until 2020 established by UN, National Road Safety Programme 2013-2020 and its structure of intervention is based on the following five pillars:
1. Safe behaviours of road traffic users.
2. Safe road infrastructure.
3. Safe speed.
4. Safe vehicles.
5. Rescue and medical assistance system.
Effective implementation of activities within the above mentioned pillars is conditioned by the improvement of the management system for road safety. Therefore, the Programme indicates also the activities which are essential for planning, implementation, coordination and monitoring activities within its particular pillars. In every pillar, based on the diagnosis of the existing status of road safety, priority directions (priorities) reflecting fundamental problems of road safety in Poland are distinguished, as well as conditions for their implementation. However, every priority accumulates activities covering:
• Engineering – understood as technical solutions for road network, which upgrade road safety and make roads “forgive” human errors, and vehicles, which protect drivers, passengers and other road users, as well as diminish possible damages of an accident.
• Enforcement – understood as visible supervision and control aiming at the enforcement of existing regulations and prevention of non-compliance.
• Education – understood as enhancing awareness of road safety by identification and understanding the risk. The objective of education is to change attitudes and behaviours at the individual level, as well as at the level of certain communities or at the organizational level.
For each pillar priorities and directions of actions have been identified.
1. Safe road user.
- Priority 1 – Influencing safe behaviours of road users.
- Priority 2 – Protection of road users.
2. Safe roads.
- Priority 1 – Implementation of road safety standards eliminating the most serious risks in road traffic.
- Priority 2 – Development of road infrastructure safety management system.
3. Safe speed.
- Priority 1 – Influencing driver behaviours in relation to driving at a safe speed.
- Priority 2 – Increase the efficiency of speed management system.
4. Safe vehicle.
- Priority 1 – Enhancement of activities regarding vehicle technical condition inspections.
- Priority 2 – Improvement of vehicle safety systems.
5. Rescue service and post-accident assistance
- Priority 1 – Integration and development of National Rescue System.
- Priority 2 – Reorganization of the assistance system to the victims of road accidents.
Road safety management system
The process of improving road safety requires compliance with the following three interconnected elements: the functions of institutional management, specific actions (interventions) and results. The fundamental functions of institutional management include:
• coordination,
• legislation,
• financing and provision of resources,
• promotion and communication,
• monitoring and evaluation,
• research, development and knowledge transfer.
Each of these functions requires improvement in view of the performance of actions defined for each pillar of Road Safety Programme. These functions are fulfilled in various proportions, depending on the institution and the level of public administration. The Programme describes the activities in the following areas:
• The improvement of road safety organizational structures and coordination.
• The introduction of coherent system of legal regulations on road safety.
• The introduction of stable road safety financing system.
• The introduction of uniform monitoring and communication system.
• The implementation of road safety research system and transfer of knowledge.
• Systemic actions.
Guidelines on Programme implementation
The Programme will function with links to other related areas such as transport, infrastructure, public finances, health, education, rescue system, power sector, environmental protection, scientific research, jurisdiction, trade exchange and spatial planning. The coordination between public administration, local government, business, nongovernmental organizations and local communities is of great importance.
Tools
The basic tools for implementing the Programme will be, similarly to the solutions described in GAMBIT 2005, performance programmes at sectoral, voivodeship and poviat levels. All programmes should be developed with consideration of National Programme objectives implementation.
Performance programmes
• programmes prepared for the period of 1-2 years, which will include:
- detailed action plan for the upcoming year in case of one-year programmes,
- detailed action plan for the first year and the outline of actions for the second year in case of two-year programmes.
Sector programmes
• internal programmes of individual departments and institutions of government administration (Directorate General of National Roads and Motorways, Polish Police Headquarters, National Headquarters of the State Fire Service of Poland, General Inspectorate of Road Transport, etc.).
Voivodeship programmes
• the basis for creating voivodeship programmes, apart from the National Programme, should be voivodeship-level documents such as development strategy and spatial development plan.
Local programmes
• programmes implemented by local governments, should indicate the concrete solutions in infrastructure, enforcement, education and rescue services.
Monitoring and assessment
Crucial issue is efficient, ongoing and complex monitoring and assessment of whether the undertaken actions are headed in the specified direction.
The Programme monitoring tools will be:
• Annual reports on road safety in Poland, which will contain mainly:
- facts concerning accidents from the previous year,
- specific indicators of the actions implementation included in the performance programmes for the previous year.
• Periodic reports on the Programme implementation containing the assessment of used solutions, correlated with the stage objectives:
- first periodic report in 2015 should cover the period of 2012-2014,
- second periodic report in 2018 should cover the period of 2012-2017.
Road safety indicators
The main indicator of Programme implementation, will be the decrease in number of fatalities and seriously injured. These indicators will be used for the ongoing assessment of reaching the main objectives in 2020, also in relation to stage objectives for 2014 and 2017. The general assessment of Programme progress will be also facilitated by other indicators.
In 2021 new National Road Safety Programme 2021-2030 was announced which aims to reduce the number of fatalities and seriously injured by 50% in 2030.
In 1972 the Council of Ministers approved a resolution regarding actions and measures aimed at the improvement of road safety situation in Poland. However, this programme did not prove to be successful and did not bring any positive changes in the situation.
Narodowy Program Bezpieczeństwa Ruchu Drogowego 2021-2030