Driving regulations and enforcement updates in Poland and Czech Republic

Poland and the Czech Republic are implementing significant changes to driving regulations and road safety enforcement.

In Poland, approximately 15 million drivers holding licenses issued before January 19, 2013, will be required to exchange their documents. This mandatory replacement process, driven by EU directives, is scheduled to run from January 19, 2028, to January 18, 2033. Additionally, new rules effective September 3, 2026, will introduce a probationary period for new category B drivers, including a strict 0.0 blood alcohol limit. Drivers caught driving despite a temporary license suspension face a five-year revocation of privileges.

Enforcement efforts are intensifying across both nations. Polish police are conducting targeted speed operations and utilizing section speed cameras, such as the one on the S5 expressway near Poznań, which recorded 696 violations in its first month. Meanwhile, in the Czech Republic, authorities are testing a higher speed limit of 150 km/h on the D3 highway, though data indicates that 40 percent of drivers in the left lane still exceed the limit.

In railway developments, Poland's Minister of Infrastructure, Dariusz Klimczak, announced that Pendolino trains on the Central Magistrala Kolejowa (CMK) may reach speeds of 250 km/h as early as September 2027.