Road pirates under the microscope. Electronic rings will check banned drivers

The new regulations introduce, among others: penalties for drifting, illegal racing and a lifetime driving ban for recidivists who break court verdicts – the Ministry of Justice announced on Tuesday. The aim of the regulations is to improve road safety and prevent road hazard perpetrators.

The Act introduces: new types of prohibited acts, including illegal races, rallies and other similar events, tightens criminal penalties for grossly dangerous, reckless driving and violating a court driving ban, and introduces new solutions regarding the forfeiture of motor vehicles as a misdemeanor or crime. – The new regulations are aimed at people who consciously and flagrantly violate traffic law – informed the Ministry of Justice.

Planned the changes assume the elimination of recidivists, i.e. drivers subject to multiple driving bans. The tightening of sanctions is also intended to increase road safety and have a deterrent effect on perpetrators of violations of the law who pose a threat to other road users.

– This is a response to the crazy behavior of drivers on Polish roads, which we all know from the Internet: slalom between cars, driving through a double line, on bends, between cars, sudden braking. All these are behaviors that expose other road users to direct loss of life or health by drivers who grossly exceed the speed limit and other road traffic regulations – emphasizes Deputy Minister of Justice Arkadiusz Myrcha. He added that recidivists who get behind the wheel after having previously been banned from driving are committing a crime.

Violation of an applicable court driving ban will result in a lifelong driving ban. – These regulations are intended to hit drivers who, despite existing bans, repeatedly drive vehicles, ignoring court decisions. The rule in such a case will be an “absolute” penalty of imprisonment – its suspension will be possible only in exceptional cases, the ministry wrote in a statement.

You will lose your car not only for driving under the influence of alcohol

The Act also provides: the possibility of confiscation of a motor vehicle to the State Treasury in the case of persons violating a court driving ban, similarly to road offenses committed under the influence of alcohol. According to the new regulations, automotive gatherings of at least 10 vehicles will have to be reported to municipal offices and obtain a permit from the local government.

The regulations also introduce the so-called drift, i.e. intentionally causing the loss of contact with the surface of at least one wheel of a motor vehicle. – Drifting alone will result in a fine of not less than PLN 1,500, if drifting poses a threat to road traffic – min. PLN 2,500. Blocking road traffic will now be punishable by a fine under general rules (previously limited to PLN 500), and in the event of a more serious traffic disruption, the court may order an additional penalty of up to PLN 1,500 – said the Ministry of Justice.

Drunk driver in someone else's car? He will pay handsomely anyway

As reported by the ministry, the legislator waived the obligation to pay the equivalent of the vehicle in a situation where a drunk driver is detained in a vehicle that does not belong to him. Instead, the perpetrator will pay a fine of at least PLN 5,000 and even up to PLN 500,000.

On Monday, the Chancellery of the President announced that President Karol Nawrocki had signed an amendment aimed at improving road traffic safety. The regulations will generally enter into force 30 days after their announcement. The exception are the regulations regarding drifting, which will enter into force after three months from the date of announcement of the amendment.

On Monday evening, the press spokesman for the President of the Republic of Poland, Rafał Leśkiewicz, said that Karol Nawrocki will also refer the bill to the Constitutional Tribunal, which will decide whether the law targeting road pirates is consistent with the Constitution.

“The Act pursues an important social goal: strengthening the protection of life and health of road users and a more effective response to reckless driving and illegal racing. This direction – as part of the state's obligations to protect public safety – is in principle justified. The problem, however, is that some of the adopted solutions have been constructed in a way that raises serious constitutional doubts and may lead to unacceptable effects in a democratic state of law,” wrote Rafał Leśkiewicz.

The Act amending certain acts to improve road traffic safety was passed by the Sejm at its meeting on November 7. Last Thursday, the Sejm voted in favor of the Senate's amendments; the president's signature was to be the last stage of the legislative process.

The act assumes, among other things, that exposing a person to direct danger of loss of life or damage to health as a result of grossly exceeding the speed and safety rules will be punishable by 3 months to 5 years in prison. The new regulations are intended to directly target people who consciously and blatantly disregard traffic law. The changes also assume that the following people will be eliminated from participating in road traffic: recidivists and holders of multiple driving bans. Tougher sanctions are intended to have a deterrent effect. (PAP)

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