Work is underway on new regulations that will facilitate the testing of semi-autonomous and fully autonomous vehicles in Poland. The changes will include updates to the definitions in the 2018 law, allowing for the testing of fully autonomous vehicles. However, the road to their full implementation on public roads remains long. Experts believe autonomous vehicles could be a solution to several major challenges, including driver shortages and transportation exclusion for specific social groups and regions. Despite this, safety concerns and the need to properly educate drivers remain significant obstacles.
“Since 2018, Poland has had regulations allowing the testing of autonomous vehicles on public roads. However, full approval for their operation is still not possible. This depends on European Union regulations, with ongoing legislative work in Brussels and Geneva under UN working groups. While these rules are evolving, for now, we can expect pilot projects in controlled environments, such as those already underway in Gdańsk and Kraków. Commercial use is still some years away,” said Professor Marcin Ślęzak, Director of Poland’s Motor Transport Institute (ITS), in an interview with Newseria.
U.S. Leads the Way in Autonomous Vehicle Deployment
While Poland and the EU are still in the regulatory phase, the United States has taken a much more liberal approach.
- Since 2018, fully autonomous vehicles have been allowed to transport passengers in California.
- Google has been offering free autonomous rides in Arizona.
- Elon Musk recently announced the launch of Tesla’s Robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, with driverless taxis set to begin transporting passengers as early as June 2025.
- Waymo, another autonomous vehicle company, plans to roll out full-service autonomous rides in Austin later this year.
Key Challenges for Autonomous Vehicles in Poland
Professor Ślęzak identifies three key challenges for the introduction of autonomous vehicles in Poland:
- Technology Development
- Vehicle automation is advancing rapidly.
- Polish lawmakers must keep pace with regulatory frameworks.
- Public Awareness and Acceptance
- There is still widespread hesitation about using and sharing roads with autonomous vehicles.
- Education efforts are needed to build trust and familiarity.
- Infrastructure Readiness
- While autonomous vehicles don’t necessarily require specialized infrastructure, improvements could enhance their efficiency and safety.
- Vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication systems could significantly increase traffic safety.
Autonomous Vehicle Safety Concerns
According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), between 2019 and June 2024, there were nearly 4,000 accidents involving autonomous vehicles in the U.S.
- The highest number of incidents occurred in 2022.
- 10% of crashes resulted in injuries, and 2% were fatal.
- In March 2018, a self-driving Uber test vehicle fatally struck a pedestrian in Tempe, Arizona—the first recorded fatal accident involving a fully autonomous vehicle.
Tesla’s Autopilot system has also come under scrutiny.
- In 2019, a driver of a Tesla Model X was killed when the vehicle, operating in Autopilot mode, veered off its lane and crashed into a barrier at 110 km/h (68 mph).
Despite these concerns, ITS experts argue that autonomous technology could reduce road accidents by up to 30%.
- If applied to Poland’s 2023 accident statistics, this reduction could mean 6,000 fewer accidents, 500 fewer fatalities, and billions in cost savings.
- Research from the Polish Road Safety Observatory indicates that 90% of road accidents are caused by human error.
Need for Driver Education and Regulation Standardization
“Vehicles are being equipped with more advanced driver assistance systems every year, but drivers are not always properly educated about their functionality. Many drivers overestimate the capabilities of these systems, leading to false confidence and a potential safety risk. We need to improve education on their correct usage and standardize their operation so that they don’t generate unnecessary alerts that could cause users to ignore them. At the same time, they must be able to intervene in real emergencies to protect both the vehicle occupants and other road users,” said Professor Ślęzak.
Studies by ITS highlight the risks of delayed driver reaction times in semi-autonomous vehicles.
- Even when a driver is attentive, it takes an average of 10 seconds to regain full control of the vehicle after an alert.
- When distracted, the reaction time can increase up to four times.
A 2023 ITS study under the Trustonomy project found that:
- 80% of fleet managers and drivers did not know how to properly use Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).
- Only 6% had received formal training.
- 53% learned to use ADAS through trial and error, which contradicts the intended safety benefits of these systems.
The Future of Autonomous Vehicles in Poland
Despite safety concerns and regulatory hurdles, autonomous vehicles are expected to play a major role in the future of transportation.
- Addressing Driver Shortages
- Self-driving trucks and taxis could alleviate labor shortages in the transport industry.
- Improving Mobility for Underserved Groups
- Autonomous vehicles could help people unable to drive due to age or disabilities.
- Enhancing Transport Efficiency
- Studies show that private cars remain parked 95% of the time.
- Autonomous ride-sharing could increase vehicle usage efficiency.
“Autonomous vehicles could also help combat transport exclusion. In areas without public transport access, on-demand autonomous shuttles could provide vital connectivity. Additionally, they could reduce the dangers of drunk driving—people could take an autonomous ride home instead of risking their lives and others on the road,” noted Professor Ślęzak.
The Global Autonomous Vehicle Market
According to Fortune Business Insights, the global autonomous vehicle market was valued at $1.5 trillion in 2022.
- By 2030, it is projected to increase nearly ninefold, reaching over $13.6 trillion.
With growing investments and technological advancements, Poland’s regulatory progress will be crucial in determining how quickly the country adopts and benefits from autonomous mobility.
Source: CEO.com.pl
