According to the Polish Chamber of Insurance, the number of active mandatory MTPL at the end of Q3 2023 policies exceeded 27.7 million in Poland, while the number of settled claims reached 826 thousand, with an average claim amount of about PLN 9.5 thousand.
Over the past 10 years, a total of PLN 86.6 billion has been paid out, with the number of claims reaching nearly 11.6 million (almost 3.7 thousand claims per day).
The total premiums for MTPL over the last decade amounted to PLN 133 billion, with the average premium for MTPL ppm in Poland being 510 PLN (after Q3 2023).
In Poland, there is only one Motor Hull policy for every 4 MTPL policies. After three quarters of 2023, the number of active contracts under this insurance reached approximately 7.3 million, with 590 thousand claims settled.
Similarly, over the past 10 years, the total premium amount was PLN 84 billion, of which almost PLN 52 billion was paid out for damages. During this period, insurers helped drivers in nearly 8 million cases – an average of over 2 thousand events per day. The average Motor Hull claim amount was over PLN 9 thousand.
PIU surveys reveal that as many as 96% of Polish drivers have described their driving skills as good, while 82% stated that they always assess the situation on the road flawlessly when maneuvering.
At the same time, over half of the respondents (52%) claimed that one can drive fast and safely, and 53% believed that experienced drivers can operate their vehicles at high speeds without causing accidents.
The report from the Traffic Department of the Polish National Police Headquarters covering 2022 speaks of over 21.3 thousand road accidents, in which almost 1.9 thousand people died, and over 24.7 thousand were injured.
The number of accidents in Poland has been decreasing for several years. Many factors contribute to this – including a stricter approach to fines for serious offenses and higher penalties for repeat offenders, but also technology – cars are becoming safer. We see significant improvement, but we should not stop our efforts to make accident statistics even better
Robert Opas, Chief Superintendent of the Traffic Department of the Polish National Police Headquarters
Work is underway to provide drivers with additional convenience related to reporting collisions. The mObywatel application will include a feature for digital confirmation of road incidents in the form of an electronic version of a joint statement about the road incident.
This will facilitate the exchange of data between the participants of the incident. The Central Information Technology Center, the Polish Insurance Chamber, representatives of insurance companies, and the Insurance Guarantee Fund are currently working on the solution.
More and more Poles are using electronic versions of documents and the mObywatel application, which facilitates the development of additional functionalities and increases the chance of their popularization.
The digital world requires digital solutions. We want the application to be convenient and functional for the participants of the incident. Thanks to it, reporting damages will be even simpler.
Drivers will have a ready digital document that they can quickly submit to the insurer. This will initiate the claims settlement process, allowing drivers to quickly benefit from professional assistance.
However, let us remember that regardless of the available solutions, we must first help any potential victims and minimize the risk of further collisions,” says Jan Grzegorz Prądzyński, President of the Polish Insurance Chamber.
Besides road accidents, theft is another major risk category. According to Police data in 2023, over 10 thousand thefts were uncovered – an increase of nearly 36% compared to the previous year.
On the other hand, many vehicles suffer damages from weather events. “In recent years, the number of damages related to severe weather – flash floods, storms – has been increasing,” says Jan Grzegorz Prądzyński.
Decreases in the number of accidents, deaths, and injuries are undoubtedly encouraging. However, achieving the goals of “vision zero” that Poland, along with other European countries, should strive for is still far ahead.
Improving road safety is possible thanks to numerous initiatives and changes in the law that have been implemented in recent years. PIU, as one of many institutions, advocated for their implementation.
An example of changes is the increase in fines and linking penalty points with the amount of third-party liability insurance premiums, which came into effect in mid-2022.
Others include the introduction of regulations to increase pedestrian safety, stricter penalties for the most serious traffic offenses, or the introduction of the obligation to maintain a distance between vehicles on the motorway and expressway.
by Yana Keller
