Can anything optimistic be found in the statistics of road accidents in Poland in 1975-2018?

Abstract

The study is a partial qualitative and quantitative analysis of the occurrence of road accidents in Poland for the period from 1975 to 2018. The data used have been sourced from the Central Statistical Office, Polish National Police Headquarters, European Union agencies, and OECD. The study depicts the periods of growth and drop in the traffic safety indicators under analysis. Positive interpretations of the numerical data presented have been highlighted. For the period from 1990s to 2018, a downward trend (with local disturbances) can be clearly seen in the number of road accidents and in the number of the killed and injured in the accidents. All this took place at a stable growth in the number of motor vehicles registered. It would be difficult not to regard this as a considerable success in the behavior of the Polish society and in the actions taken by the state authorities responsible for road traffic safety.