Polish Roads
For 10 years, Poland has been the EU’s leader not only with regard to the number of fatalities on the roads but also regarding costs that the country bears from road tragic accidents. In 2008, one casualty ‘cost’ PLN 1.47 million. Since 2000, this amount has doubled. According to the World Bank, road accidents make up 2% of the GDP. This includes not only direct costs of the accidents themselves but also lost production possibilities of the people who have died. As statistics show, most casualties are people between the ages of 15 and 45 and 80% of are males. Therefore, Poland loses the most productive members of society. As the Independent Laboratory of Economics at the Road and Bridge Research Institute (SPE IBDiM) has calculated, 1,000 km of highway will lower the number of fatalities by 200 individuals and injured people by 1,300 a year. Traffic on highways is better organised and this, in turn, means a lower number of accidents. The experience of other EU countries shows that a decent infrastructure, speed cameras and strict fines for those who break rules can enable a significant reduction of road accidents.
Dziennik
When I lived in the UK, once a month I’d experience and comment to my family about a near miss with another driver. Now I live in Poland, about once a month I experience a safe and stress-free journey.
http://www.economist.com/blogs/easternapproaches/2010/10/polands_dangerous_roads
Great link. Cheers!