It is a well-known fact across the globe that Poles appreciate the consumption of alcohol. Nevertheless, when it comes to drinking and driving, Poles are mostly disciplined and would rather decline any drink if they are to take the wheel in the next three to four hours. 

A report conducted by the European Commission on alcohol consumption behind the wheel across Europe shows that Poles are among the “good students” in this field.

Polish drivers are among the most controlled in the whole EU. Yet, it turns out that less than 1.5% of them had alcohol in their blood while driving. 

Poland’s good results are to be observed in comparison with other European nations. On average, 3.5% of Europeans have had alcohol in their blood (at least 0.5 per mille) while driving. When it comes to driving sober, the European champions are the Irish, with less than 0.5% of drivers controlled positive.

The worst results in this matter have been recorded in Italy, Belgium and Portugal. In these countries, people tend to have a more flexible approach with regard to their alcohol consumption before driving. 

Without making a generalisation, let’s compare Belgians and Poles for a moment. The drinking culture is very different in these two countries. To put it simply, Belgians tend to drink more often than Poles, but in lesser amounts, and at earlier hours of the day, whereas Poles would rather stay completely sober for several days before allowing themselves to have a couple of drinks on an occasion in which they are sure they will not have to drive.

Coming back to the report mentioned above, the European Commission estimates that in 2008-2018 the number of road fatalities caused by alcohol consumption decreased by 63%, but this means that over 2,700 people are still killed by drunken drivers on a yearly basis across Europe.

Image: Unsplash

Author: Sébastien Meuwissen