Mandate information in the amount 500 PLN For utilizing navigation may sound like a ridiculous joke, but for many drivers it can become a painful reality. A police officer can actually impose specified a punishment during a roadside inspection, and not only the fine is at stake, but besides a powerful dose of punishment points. In fact, the problem is not the very fact of utilizing navigation, which is legal and highly helpful. The Devil, as usual, is in the details – specifically in the device on which it is operated, and the way in which the driver uses it. It is crucial to realize that this is simply a smartphone in hand, not a hint on the screen, which is the basis for the officer's severe intervention.
Problem not in navigation, but in the telephone in hand
At the outset, it should be clear: the usage of car navigation, whether a factory, built into a multimedia strategy of a vehicle or an accessory system, is full allowed. The rules do not prohibit the driver from utilizing a map on the screen. The problem begins erstwhile navigation takes over our smartphone, which is the absolute norm these days. Applications specified as Google Maps, Waze or Yanosik have displaced dedicated GPS devices and frequently offer much better functionality than mill systems.
However, Polish law is highly precise and restrictive. The key is the record. Article 45 §2 point 1 of the Road Traffic Law Actwhich expressly prohibits the driver of the vehicle ‘use erstwhile driving from a telephone requiring holding a headphone or microphone in hand’.
This provision is the foundation on which police checks are based. There's no point in utilizing the phone. It doesn't substance whether we're having a conversation, we're writing a message, we're going through social media, or we're setting a way in a navigation app. If any of these activities require holding a device in your hand, this is treated as an offence. From a safety perspective, this is full justified. all distraction of the hand from the steering wheel and sight from the road, to look at the handheld phone, dramatically increases the hazard of an accident.
Raw consequences: PLN 500 and as many as 12 punishment points
Knowing the consequences is crucial to knowing why police officers approach this offense with all severity. A driver who is caught utilizing a telephone in a way that requires him to be held must be entitled to a punishment fee of 500 PLN.
However, a much more severe punishment is the allocation to the driver’s account until 12 punishment points. This is simply a powerful blow, accounting for half the permissible limit (24 points) for most drivers. This means that only 2 specified offences in 1 year can consequence in the failure of a driving licence. It is besides worth remembering that in Poland there are rules on recidivism – re-fulfilling the same kind of offence in 2 years may consequence in a double fine. The financial and point punishment is so intentionally advanced to act as a strong deterrent to 1 of the most common and most dangerous behaviours on the road.
How to legally and safely usage telephone navigation?
If it's forbidden to hold a phone, and most of us can't imagine traveling without a smartphone navigation, how do we reconcile these 2 things? The solution is simple, inexpensive and widely available: car handle. Mounting the telephone in a dedicated handle makes both the driver's hands stay on the steering wheel, and he himself does not break the rules. But having a grip is not all. Equally crucial is its correct location.
In order to guarantee that the usage of navigation is full legal and safe, there are respective principles to be observed:
- Do not restrict the field of vision: That's the absolute basis. The telephone holder shall not obstruct the windscreen in any way or impede the reflection of the surroundings, including side mirrors. Mounting it in the mediate of the window, at the tallness of sight, is highly dangerous and can besides become the basis for police intervention.
- Avoid airbag operating zone: Never mount the handlebar where the airbags are located (e.g. on the dashboard on the passenger side or on the steering wheel). In a possible accident, the firing airbag turns the telephone and handle into a deadly dangerous missile.
- Choose an optimal location: The most popular and safest locations are:
- On the windscreen: On the left side of the steering wheel, in the lower corner, or on the right side, close to the centre console so as not to restrict visibility.
- On the dashboard: utilizing grips with a suction cup or self-adhesive pad, in a place that allows comfortable peeking on the screen without taking your eyes off the road for more than a second.
- In the air grate: This is simply a very popular and safe solution, due to the fact that it does not in any way restrict the visibility through the window.
Expert comment: “Set and drive” principle
The problem with telephone navigation doesn't end with the handle itself. Road safety experts emphasise the importance of the "Set and Drive" principle. This means that all application support – search for an address, set the route, choice additional options – must be done before drivingAt the stop.
An effort to make changes to the route, to find alternate routes or to operate any application function while driving is as dangerous as holding a telephone in your hand. Even if the device is in the handle, any interaction with the contact screen distracts the driver from the road situation. Therefore, if you request to change your destination or settings during your journey, you must definitely stay in a safe place and make the essential adjustments.
The aim of the government is to destruct the phenomenon of ‘drift driving’. Distracted driving), which is 1 of the main causes of collisions and accidents worldwide. Remember that modern technology is meant to aid us and increase security, not make additional risks. Just a small discipline and appropriate pre-travel preparation to avoid both a mandate and a possible road tragedy.
Read more:
This is not a joke: 500 PLN and 12 points for utilizing navigation in 2025
