May Weekend 2016. You need to know this before you go

Ahead of the first long weekend in May. This time it will last four days. True, the weather in recent days is not impressive, but the Poles will certainly go on a long-awaited picnic.

A few more hours and the first long weekend of May will begin. The Poles have been waiting for months for these few, probably warm days. Finally, the season of trips out of town, barbecues, games and outdoor sports has come.

The first picnic always means an increase in traffic on the roads and, unfortunately, the number of accidents. Last year, on the first day of the weekend in May, 93 accidents were registered, in which 123 people were injured, and there were also 8 deaths. For comparison, during 2015, the Police registered 32 traffic accidents on public roads, in residential or traffic areas, which gives an average of 967 accidents per day.

The editors recommend:

- Fiat Tipo. 1.6 MultiJet economy version test

- Interior ergonomics. Safety depends on it!

– Impressive success of the new model. Lines in salons!

– Our calculations show that the most accidents, on average 24% more (median), occurred on the first day of the weekend, when traveling to a place of rest. And although the number of accidents is systematically decreasing, unfortunately, the above trend has deepened significantly over the past five years, with an average of 50% more accidents recorded on the first day. Hurry, that is, speeding and fatigue, are the main causes of driver errors on the road and, as a result, accidents. Therefore, in addition to preparing the car, it is important to start the journey well rested. We will try not to leave for the May weekend after work in the evening, especially if the place of rest is far away. It's worth taking a vacation and traveling early or the next morning after a good night's sleep, says Michal Nežgoda, Head of Quality Assurance at InterRisk Towarzystwo Ubezpieczeń SA Vienna Insurance Group Claims Department.

– Significantly improved the statistics of drunk drivers stopping, which used to be the scourge of Polish roads. In ten years, their number has decreased by 50%, but still stands at about 300 drunk drivers a day, i.e. on average, one person stops every 12 minutes. Interestingly, on the first day, the number of stops is quite small (it is 19% lower than the daily average), many more dual-gas drivers end up in the hands of the police on the second and third days of the long weekend. - adds the InterRisk expert.

May weekend in Poland in 2005-2015 *
2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
accidents	first day	106	168	127	150	109	158	101	104	110	104	93
	last day	109	77	108	125	104	88	60	62	82	61	72
	average	120	118	106	126	110	113	84	94	74	74	78
	median	120	119	108	125	107	104	81	88	73	61	75
Killed	first day	7	11	12	10	11	10	7	3	8	5	8
	last day	11	5	7	12	13	10	4	3	11	13	8
	average	13	13	11	11	15	9	8	7	8	7	8
	median	11	12	11	10	14	10	8	6	8	6	8
Wounded	first day	143	217	173	187	126	183	111	125	153	122	123
	last day	168	103	183	188	127	128	92	89	103	72	89
	average	168	163	148	175	138	147	109	122	95	91	102
	median	168	155	148	187	135	138	102	110	93	79	98
Drunk drivers	first day	526	430	362	411	395	468	427	461	427	235	219
	last day	603	652	424	486	571	529	349	557	511	272	386
	average	675	587	404	503	512	584	454	520	455	308	308
	median	646	614	399	524	540	583	439	523	463	272	315

Source: Police Headquarters, own calculations.

This weekend, many people will travel hundreds of miles to meet family or friends. We all need to take care of safety, so we advise you to prepare well for such a journey. Thinking about your own vacation at sea, in the mountains or abroad, take care of the safety and comfort of your trip:

car

• check the technical condition of the car: the operation of the headlights, the performance of the brake and drive systems, the level of working fluids (brake fluid, diesel oil, wind fluid), tires (due to low, often negative temperatures at night, it is worth refraining from changing tires to summer ones) ;
• check the vehicle equipment: first aid kit, warning triangle, fire extinguisher, spare wheel, light bulbs, tool kit;
• check the validity of driver's documents (driver's license, OSAGO and registration certificate - are technical inspections relevant);
• check if a green card is required in the country you are going to;
• refuel;
• clean your car, driving comfort is important for you and your fellow travelers.

Travel route

• determine the route, including whether it is being repaired, whether there are detours;
• if the trip lasts more than 6 hours, organize places to rest or eat - it is assumed that it is good to rest every 2 hours; when choosing a place, pay attention to whether it will be a safe place - do not choose a stop in a remote area or in a forest;
• check the availability of filling stations;
• check the location of authorized repair stations or your insurer's partner network.

Trip

• when you go on a longer trip, you should freshen up, preferably after a good night's sleep. If we have a high temperature outside the window, and we are traveling with children and you will not have the opportunity to turn on the air conditioner, we recommend that you leave in the early morning hours, when the heat is not yet the greatest. Also, be mindful of your pet. A dog or cat also needs comfort when traveling;
• adjust your speed to current road and weather conditions and your skills;
• pay attention to pedestrians, especially children;
• also look out for two-wheelers who are less visible on the road;
• use seat belts and devices for the safe transportation of children (seat seats);
• don't forget to drive with low beam headlights XNUMX hours a day;
• never get behind the wheel of a car after drinking alcohol or in a state of intoxication with any other intoxicating substance;
• follow the rules of the road, so pay attention to road signs and do not drive by heart;
• properly secure the transported luggage so that it does not restrict the view and does not move while driving;
• do not forget to apply the principle of "limited confidence", signal in advance, in a form that is visible and understandable to others, overtaking and evasive maneuvers, changing direction or lane, as well as stopping or parking;
• do not use a mobile phone while driving;
• do not forget to take provisions for the journey, water and a chocolate bar;
• charge a mobile phone.

 - During the picnic, you should expect reinforced traffic police patrols. Their attention will be focused on drivers who speed, incorrectly overtake other vehicles, cross solid lines, drive without seat belts or carry children without child seats,” says Michal Nežgoda.