Figures show that Poland’s worst speeding drivers are in Lubuskie in the West, with 29% breaking the limit, at 67.5km/h averages. The least speedy are the sedate drivers of Podlaskie (Białystok) in the East, with 18% of them breaking the limit at 55.4km/h.
Reduction in accidents increases insurance costs
The figures came to light as part of a study on installation of “black boxes” where drivers can get reduced car insurance premiums in return for having their driving monitored. More on that below the table.
Table of speeders by region
| Voivodeship | Capital | Speed km/h / % speeders |
| Lubuskie | Zielona Góra | 67.5 / 28.9 |
| Opolskie | Opole | 65.9 / 44.1 |
| Mazowieckie | Warsaw | 64.2 / 42.3 |
| Zachodnio-Pomorskie | Szczecin | 64.1 / 41.1 |
| Śląskie | Katowice | 63.1 / 33 |
| Wielkopolskie | Poznań | 62.8 / 36.1 |
| Lubelskie | Lublin | 62.1 / 43.9 |
| Małopolskie | Cracow | 61.9 / 29 |
| Podkarpackie | Rzeszów | 61.6 / 27.3 |
| Łódzkie | Łódź | 61.1 / 32.6 |
| Pomorskie | Gdańsk | 60.7 / 24.7 |
| Świętokrzyskie | Kielce | 58.6 / 25.7 |
| Dolnośląskie | Wrocław | 58.0 / 21.3 |
| Warmińsko-Mazurskie | Olsztyn | 56.4 / 19.5 |
| Kujawsko-Pomorskie | Bydgoszcz | 55.9 / 26.1 |
| Podlaskie | Białystok | 55.4 / 18.1 |
There is no actual evidence the speeds have a direct link to driver safety, or much detail on which driver license or vehicle categories are measured. However, judging by how seriously they are being taken by the insurance industry, they must hold some credibility.
The study of “black boxes” was covered by Newsweek Poland, with insurance companies looking to get the boxes installed in return for lower premiums.
PZU insurers are the first to offer the black boxes, or “czarna skrzynka“. The insurers promote other benefits beyond drivers’ safety, such as less brake wear, and less fuel costs, citing up to 25% savings on expenses for company users.
Potential users are very concerned about privacy, and to what use information about driving habits, and locations would be used. The insurers stress that this is not the objective of the device, and such information would not be recorded.
Reducing numbers of accidents are reducing profits for the insurers, probably because accident-causing drivers pay higher premiums. According to the Road Safety Council “Krajowa Rada Bezpieczeństwa Ruchu Drogowego“, costs are increasing from 40.1 billion złoty in 2013 to an estimated 50.7 billion złoty in 2015.
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