2026-01-06 12:30
publication
2026-01-06 12:30
Since March 2024, i.e. since the entry into force of regulations allowing the seizure of a car whose driver had 1.5 per mille or more of alcohol in the body, the police have temporarily seized 13,592 vehicles. Most in the following voivodeships: Silesia, Masovia and Lublin.
Stricter penalties for drunk drivers were introduced by the amendment to the Penal Code, which entered into force on March 14, 2024. These provisions include: allow the court to order the forfeiture of a motor vehicle if the person driving it had more than 1.5 per mille of alcohol in the blood or 0.75 mg/dm in the exhaled air. The provision also applies to drivers driving under the influence of drugs.
– By December 5, 2025, 13,592 vehicles were temporarily seized. Most of them were confiscated in the Silesian garrison: 1,329, Masovian garrison: 1,221, Lublin garrison: 1,115 and Greater Poland garrison: 1,049 – Junior Asp. told PAP. Jakub Pacyniak from the social communication office of the Police Headquarters.
It is known that the sanctions also covered foreigners, but the Police Headquarters emphasized that it does not collect information on secured vehicles “registered in other countries or belonging to citizens of other countries”.
In the province West Pomeranian Voivodeship since March 2014, 563 vehicles have been confiscated. They ended up in several dozen police parking lots.
– The court decides on the fate of these vehicles. Will they go to another institution, for example, or will they be put up for sale? – explained the deputy commissioner. Piotr Jaworski from the Provincial Police Headquarters in Szczecin. – This year we stopped over 360 vehicles. This clearly indicates that we are not slowing down and we will conduct inspections frequently, he announced.
Podkom, Jaworski reminded that penalties for drunk drivers are more severe if they caused an accident (then they lose the car when they had 1 permille of alcohol in the body) or committed a road crime in conditions of recidivism.
If the driver was under the influence of psychoactive substances, the qualification of the act depends on the assessment of the impact of the substance on his/her performance.
The amendment to the Penal Code also provides for situations in which a car cannot be confiscated because it was, for example, damaged in an accident or is not the property of the driver. Introducing the new regulations, the Ministry of Justice explained: “If ordering the forfeiture of a motor vehicle due to its sale, loss, destruction or significant damage is impossible or pointless, or if the vehicle was not the exclusive property of the perpetrator at the time of committing the crime, the court will be able to order compensation (at least PLN 5,000) to the Victims' Assistance Fund and Post-penitentiary Assistance instead of forfeiture.”
The confiscation provision does not exclude other penalties for driving under the influence of alcohol. The penalty is up to 3 years in prison (in case of recidivism – up to 5 years) and loss of driving license.
As the Police Headquarters told PAP, from March 14, 2024 to December 18 this year. a total of over 75,000 were disclosed. cases of drunk driving. The largest number was in the following voivodeships: Silesia (8,396), Greater Poland (7,490) and in the area of operation of the KWP based in Radom (5,920). (PAP)
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