33 killed on roads over Easter break
PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge
22.04.2014 08:39
33 people died in road accidents across Poland over the four-day Easter break, compared with 17 over the same period in 2013.
Photo: Glowimages
Photo: policja.pl
Much of the country had a sunny spell over Easter, and police note that better weather typically gives rise to a higher death toll, with drivers throwing caution to the wind.
Last year, there was still snow across much of Poland over Easter, and there were 205 road accidents with 315 people injured, whereas this year there were 293 accidents, and 381 sustained injuries.
1324 people were arrested for drink-driving this year. The worst day was Easter Saturday, when there were 89 accidents and 13 fatalities.
A report released by the European Commission a month ago found that Poland has the second deadliest roads throughout the EU, and only Romania had a higher proportion of fatalities in 2013.
A rash of road accidents in Poland following New Year's Eve revelry prompted the government to put forward proposals on how to tackle the problem of drink driving. A proposal for all drivers to carry a breathalyser in their vehicles was among the ideas suggested, but no new legislation has been read in parliament to date. (nh)
Source: PAP