It has become easier for Ukrainians in Poland to lose their driver's licenses: what is the essence

New rules for drivers have come into force in Poland that may significantly affect Ukrainians using cars in the country. From now on, a portion of penalty points can no longer be annulled through additional training, increasing the risk of losing a driver's license for serious traffic violations. This was reported by InPoland.

Penalty points in Poland: what has changed since June

The new regulations took effect on June 3rd. Previously, drivers who received fines and penalty points could sign up for special paid retraining courses and reduce the number of points in their history.

This mechanism worked regardless of what violation was committed. This allowed many drivers to avoid accumulating a critical number of points and, consequently, losing their licenses.

Now, the authorities in Poland have decided to tighten responsibility for the most dangerous violations on the roads.

For which violations penalty points can no longer be canceled

After the changes, additional courses will no longer help to get rid of penalty points for a number of serious traffic violations.

This list includes:

• Driving a vehicle under the influence of alcohol;
• Significant speeding;
• Severe violations of pedestrian safety;
• Other serious traffic violations.

In such cases, even attending training will not affect the number of accumulated points.

When penalty points will be annulled

For the most serious offenses, a different procedure will now apply. Penalty points will automatically disappear only one year after the fine is paid.

This means that drivers will have to remain at risk of accumulating a critical number of points for a much longer time. In the event of repeated violations, the chances of losing a driver's license noticeably increase.

The new rules apply to all drivers in Poland, including Ukrainian citizens who have the right to operate vehicles within the territory of the country.

It is worth noting that Poland is preparing a large-scale reform of the sick leave payment system. The government is considering the possibility of fully transferring the payment of periods of incapacity for work from employers to the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS).