34 dead, 460 hurt on Polish roads during May holiday break: police

Thirty-four people were killed and 460 injured in 401 accidents on Polish roads from Tuesday, April 30, to Sunday, May 5, police have said, summing up an extended holiday break during which Poles traveled to popular tourist sites, encouraged by sunny weather.

Three people were killed after their car crashed into a tree and went up in flames in Warsaw's Wilanów district on May 3, 2024.

Photo: PAP/Paweł Supernak

With May 1 (Labour Day) and May 3 (Constitution Day) public holidays, many Poles took the opportunity to head off on what has become known as the May long weekend.

Officers said they stopped more than 1,800 drunk drivers during the six-day period.

Robert Opas from the country’s General Police Headquarters (KGP) told reporters on Monday that the number of road accidents increased by 86 compared with a similar period last year, with the number of fatalities remaining the same.

Additionally, there were 81 more people injured, while the number of drunk drivers stopped by officers decreased by 179, Opas said.

Majówka pod znakiem wypadków https://t.co/ECkZsoDn3g

— PolskieRadio24.pl (@PR24_pl) May 6, 2024

He added that more than 4,000 police were out on the roads each day during this year's May holiday break in an effort to improve safety.

(gs)

Source: IAR, PAP, polskieradio24.pl