Registration of right hand drive cars in Poland - possible?

And the arguments for doing so continue to remain valid I'm afraid...

We hope that our government finally find some way how not to accept registration of right-hand drive
vehicles for good. We like cheap cars in the UK and source of cheap spare parts.

Left hand drive hackney cabs are available, I've seen them in Dubai.

Well I've driven my rhd car all over Europe. I feel safe driving it and never had a problem with steering wheel being on wrong side (apart from toll booths). I can't see how rhd cars can have the excuse. Of "being a danger to road safety" when the standard of driving here in LHD cars is shocking. I've seen overtaking on blind bends, overtaking on a grass verge, speeding, and no care taken on icy roads (yesterday I witnessed 2 crashes on ice, even though people had put up signs to tell people of bad ice on a corner). I have my car brought from ireland and I hope to get it registered here as its not worth the hassle of taking it back!

Any idea how the judgement went in Brussels today regarding the EU commission v poland allowing rhd cars to be registered here? Today was the delivery of the judgement?

Just heard the news, the verdict is that PL/LT need to change their regulations to allow RHD vehicle registration...

europeanvoice.com/article/2014/march/court-tells-poland-lithuania-to-accept-right-hand-drive-cars/80169.aspx

Good news, as I've my Irish car here and insurance and nct (motor test) is soon up.

Does anyone have anymore info on this? or a better link, as the one above costs a subscription to read this

Poland won't accept it - they will simply opt out and the pay the European Commission fines for doing so. Just as the French break European law by refusing our English sausage :))

why would anybody care what is legal or not?
If Polish government breaks the law everyday by not allowing nice people to register right hand cars here, why should nice (British) people abide by it?

I'm sure everyone here with a right hand drive car wants to do things legally, but if the Polish government acts like a t*t what else can people do.

Polish government only has itself to blame, imagine all the lost speeding tickets from speed cameras, and all the parking tickets.
Hmm, maybe the Polish government needs a business adviser, then it would stop shooting itself in the foot.

Simples

curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2014-03/cp140037en.pdf

Or jargon translated - Poland is breaking European import laws, so will have to pay penalties. Which they will - just to save the "car" industry in Poland - where people pay 15 thousand zlotys for an old wreck at a car lot - you really couldn't make it up.

Thanks Dougpol1

I know it really is a crazy situation, as I don't feel safe buying a used Polish car (as most poles hammer their cars), and you can get an inspection certificate (MOT) for 100zl

and a stamped service record for 250zl, clocking a car is only 100zl too.

And what makes matter worse is you can't check a car like we can in the UK on sites like: freecarcheck.org

the fact that Poland doesn't instigate this scheme is just adding to the corruption. FFS!

So according to you this has NOTHING to do with concerns for safety of all potentially affected road users??? It's not hard to predict what would happen should the accident statistics worsen as a result... I'm not sure who would be willing to take that risk.

hahaha, safety concerns. I guess a back seat driver will never see the day-to-day issues as I have.
I drive with cameras fitted as typically polish drivers can't be trusted.

The ONLY safety concerns I can see is poles cannot drive well, which is a shame as in Czech Rep they drive perfectly well.



and why not to buy a car in PL:



I guess 99% of poles blame the state of the roads, but I don't. Most ppl just need to wake the fck up!

The first link is spot on - we all acknowledge that there is a huge problem with driver discipline, so I can understand that there is some reservation to giving the green light to the influx of potentially thousands of RHD cars as it is likely to have a negative impact given the reduced visibility on overtaking manoeuvres. And the concern is not so much for the idiot kamikaze drivers, but rather their innocent victims...

By sharing the 2nd link of idiots on wheels - what exactly were you attempting to convey? That the average Pole treats their car this way???

According to the European Commission the refusal of Poland to accept RHD has nothing to do with safety concerns.

I happen to agree with the Commission - as Poland has had only 20 odd years to play with driving without fuel restrictions and with access to all vehicles - and consequently Polish safety "experts" now sweet fukk all in terms of how RHD would affect the statistics.

It;s Polish protectionism rearing it's ugly head again. what would the mechanic cottage industries do if people could import cheaper high range British cars for those who can afford the relatively high fuel costs.

And changing RHD to left hand is potentially hazardous in quite a few cars - ask any mechanic. Car fires are not uncommon.

Subarumad - your vids are over the top mate :) but wait until you see your first dead body. I've lived here for 21 years and I've seen 7 or 8 separate incidents - ranging from people strangely lying immobile on the road with their eyes open and seemingly just a bruise , to the full works with decapitated mish mash.

You're right about one thing - some Poles are the worst egotistical drivers, out-doing the supposedly mad Italians.
But don't bother yourself - you will get used to it. These people will never drive sensibly until they are banned - which simply does not happen here.

To get to 24 points you would need to kill somebody. As to dangerous drivers - If you were to challenge them further down the road they would have absolutely no clue as to why you are threatening them with violence :)

most of the accidents in poland are caused by very bad driving and the failure to observe the law and since poland has joined the eu large ammounts of money has been made available to improvr the roads but the accidents still happen. it does not matter the position of the steering wheel its the atttude f the driver to drive with sense and observe the rules

This is my point. It doesn't matter if the car is RHD or LHD it depends only on to driver. BTW Poland will have to authorize the registration of such vehicles - decided, the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg.

You don't understand how European law works.

Poland will opt out of this ruling and refuse to accept the ruling. And pay the penalties.

The penalties are too extreme, financially. The government will comply!

Court says right-hand drive cars can be registered in Poland.

Polish drivers do not give a ***** about LHD or RHD, They drive like crazy idiots.
ON Sunday evening on the way back to Lublin, It was raining and drivers couldn't overtake so instead they drive up your arse. Bad braking.

When we got to Lublin, We saw paramedics trying to resuscitate someone who had been hit on a crossing. It was shocking to see. Did drivers drive better after seeing this, they would have seen it, It was on one lane of the road they wouldn't have missed it as you had to slow right down.

NO the stupid winnits drove even worse than before.
I was so shocked to see how polish drivers behaved after seeing something so shocking as that.

No matter is they drive RHD or LHD they will still be dangerous.
The rule on RHD isn't the issue. The issue is fines for driving.
Make fines 500zl fixed.
Fine drivers who are on the phone, block roads and jump red lights.
Drink driving 5000zl and 1 full year ban with possible loss of job.

This is the only way drivers will be better in Poland. Like the rules in the UK.

Sorry rant over.

Its more dangerous driving RHD in LHD countries. Mainly because of the blind overtaking issue.

It is most definitely a safety issue overtaking whilst driving a car with the steering equipment on the 'wrong' side, but it seems to me that overtaking in general here in Poland is a huge safety issue. It's atrocious!

The reality is it won't and can't improve until the rules of the road are abided by and the law is enforced.
We needn't hold our collective breaths!!

Culture.

Wroclaw Boy - the Warsaw Voice used to be a useful source of news. Now it is just Reuters' news. I still don't think, unfortunately, that the stubborn Polish government will listen to sense on this subject :(

If it's a court decision, it'll have to go to the next stage with appeals etc and even if it's ratified, it'll still take a while to filter down to the registration office.

Sense IMO would be to not let RHD vehicles to be registered in Poland, it will massively increase the death rates on already dangerous roads. Just imagine with the millions of Poles in the UK how the Polish market will be flooded with cheap RHD cars within months.

Wroclaw Boy
"just imagine with the millions of Poles in the UK how the Polish market will be flooded with cheap RHD cars within months."???????? like thats a bad thing?

far better i suppose to be paying at least 50 per cent over the odds - and that in country where averages wages are at best 25-30 per cent of western europe?

dont see what all the fuss is about - im english - ive always driven a r.h car - even in france and poland and experience no problems ... even overtaking, as presumably neither do all the lhd cars you see in england

the people on here who should bleating and warning of impending doom is the polish government since they stand to lose out in taxes.

cant see why anyone would object to cheap ( for which read - normal priced by uk standards - as oppposed to continental european inflated prices ) rhd cars,, as

people have already pointed out on here - its not rhd that is the problem ,,,, its crappy dangerous polish drivers

so many times ive driven behind someone in poland, seen something really dodgy and have quietly said to myself - "fk me ,,, if he did that in england he'd be banned" -

depends on your bias, ie, economic or safety. Most people instantly think from the money angle.....as you just did.


It is more dangerous which ever way you play it. France has a decent motor way and dual carriageway network so you can use mirrors to overtake and theres an overtaking/outside lane to pull safely into. Poland often does not so you need to swerve or stick your head out to see if theres a car, truck, tractor or bus coming before you overtake and pull into the oncoming traffic lane and this is a hazard. Also turning right at cross roads feels quite alien at first, and lets not even talk about blind sides and spots with large vans such as Ford Transits. I often drove a jumbo RHD VW van in Poland and its a right b@astard.

LHD cars in the UK are a minority, RHD cars in Poland with the price difference will flood the market and this will increase road safety issues significantly.

I mean you could buy a nice good conditioned Ford Escort for about £500 in the UK and sell for 3500 PLN easily in Poland.

Obviously Poles would never dream of just driving UK cars in Poland on UK plates and thus not worry about speed cameras etc....

Are we counting in the millions now??? Where did that figure come from? The highest estimate I've come across was a measly 600k to 800k.


I am sure that the numbers will rise for sure initially, but by how much we'll need to wait and see. First of all, it's not the case that people are holding off with a vehicle purchase now until they can their hands on a cheaper RHD car. They purchase used up and beat up Western EU vehicles. So there is a number of potential buyers who will benefit from the cheaper but at the same time younger/safer vehicles, especially those who have connections with the UK/IE. On the other hand, how many potential buyers in PL with no real relation to the RHD countries (and those who are not British motoring enthusiasts) will willingly buy into the intrinsic inconvenience & hindered driver vision (hence reduced safety)???