Control the distance between cars. “Some people haven’t even heard of it.”
On Friday afternoon, police officers carried out checks on the S2 motorway, at the Obach junction. – It was an unusual check because this time they did not check the speed, but whether the drivers kept a safe distance while driving on the motorway – according to Artur Węgrzynowicz from tvnwarszawa.pl, who watched the police’s activities.
Our reporter noticed two officers with scales on the Wczasowa Street Bridge, on the Southern Ring Road in Warsaw. – They measured the distances between the moving S2 cars and then transmitted the information to police officers in police cars stationed several hundred meters away, in the direction of the Konotoba intersection, – our correspondent indicated.
As he indicated, this was done for security reasons. – Because where the policemen stopped the vehicles, the track has four lanes, two of which are ramps and checks were made at the end of one of them. He described what appeared to be the safest place to conduct this type of inspection on the highway.
The drivers were surprised
It was difficult for the drivers to hide their surprise. This is an unusual control. – I know from the policemen themselves that the biggest surprise for drivers is the control of a drone when the policeman is not visible at the intersection. In this situation, drivers often do not understand the reason for stopping. Węgrzynowicz said some openly admit they have not heard of such a ruling as maintaining a safe distance from the vehicle in front.
The tvnwarszawa.pl correspondents who roam the streets of Warsaw every day know how important it is to keep the distance between vehicles. – Even a small collision on the southern bypass of Warsaw with heavy traffic means that the travel time sometimes stretches from a few minutes to several tens. A traffic jam can reach several kilometers even if it is a harmless collision – summed up by Artur Węgrzynowicz.
What do the regulations say?
Recall: The amendment to the Road Traffic Act, which was passed by the House of Representatives in January 2021 and entered into force six months later, provides for a ban on driving near the following vehicle on highways and highways, otherwise known as “bump driving.” The distance between vehicles must not be less than half the speed at which the vehicle is moving. This means that a driver traveling at 100 km/h must stay 50 meters behind the vehicle in front. The exception is the overtaking maneuver.
The driver can pay a fine of up to PLN 500 in the case of “riding on the bumper”.
Read more: Big changes for drivers. Four core issues
Main image source: Artur Węgrzynowicz / tvnwarszawa.pl
