Pot-holed highways contributing to road deaths, report claims
PR dla Zagranicy
John Beauchamp
16.05.2011 14:37
A new report from the Supreme Audit Office reveals that half of Poland’s highways should be shut due to their poor condition, with only 0.5 percent of roads in the country found to be in a good state.
The Office also found that over twice as many Poles die in road accidents than across the EU. While in Poland 11 people die per 100 accidents, the EU average stands at 5 deaths per 100 accidents.
The Supreme Audit Office slams dire road surfacing, ineffective driver training and examination, vehicles’ poor technical conditions, and faulty traffic organisation for the statistic.
The Office’s audit of Poland’s roads found that for every two kilometres of highway, there is 1 km containing ruts deeper than 2 cm, while every fourth kilometre has ruts deeper than 3 cm.
The Supreme Audit Office writes in its report that even though the number of first-time passes across Poland is relatively small, with no examination centre passing more than 50 percent of learner drivers at their first attempt during 2009-2010, 35 percent of accidents are caused by drivers who have just passed their test.
Other pitfalls in the Polish highways system include bad signage, lighting, and pedestrian crossings, with 37.5 percent of highway agencies across the country not paying attention to safety issues whatsoever. (jb)
Source: PAP