First Map

Individual Risk - First Map

1^st Map – Individual risks on international roads
This map shows individual risks measured with the concentration of accidents, i.e. an average risk of being an accident fatality or of suffering from serious injuries on international roads in Poland in 2005-2007. The risk concerns any individual road user and is measured with the frequency of accidents that involve fatalities or severe injuries on every section of a road per the number of vehicles that travel on this section annually (the number of accidents involving fatalities and severe injuries per 1 billion vehicle kilometres).
The 1^st Map that shows the individual risk for all accidents causing fatalities or severe injuries shows that:

international roads, i.e. the roads of the highest standard in Poland, are unfortunately more dangerous than similar roads in Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom,
55% of sections of these roads are ‘black sections’, i.e. sections of the highest risk,
most ‘black sections’ occur in the south-east and south-west regions (voivodeships) of Poland, and
the safest sections are the newly constructed motorways.

The presented maps of individual risks on international roads in Poland may assist:

drivers, in planning their travels by selecting knowingly the route according to the criterion of minimising the risk in road traffic,
the road managements, in taking decisions on improving the safety management system and selecting the sequence of measures taken for road safety, and
politicians, in comparing the risk level on Polish roads and the roads of our neighbours.

We may expect even the ten times higher risk of being a fatality or severely injured on the ‘black sections’ of roads than on ‘green sections’. Unfortunately, it is not possible to implement all necessary measures aimed at enhancing safety in a short time (due to technical and economic reasons etc.). Therefore, the presented roads will maintain their levels of risk for some time. Consequently, the maps of risk will be helpful as they advise of the hazards encountered by road users travelling on selected sections. If it is necessary to travel along such a road, its user will be able to reduce the risk by driving at a safe speed and fastening seat belts.