Geneva, Switzerland - UNITAR's International Training Centre for Authorities and Leaders in Poland ( CIFAL Płock ) concluded a series of training workshops for local and regional law enforcement agencies in Poland aimed at strengthening their capacities to implement the Autosobriety Training Programme to Prevent Drink-Driving .
Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death among people aged 15-29 years. Road users who are impaired by alcohol have a significantly higher risk of being involved in a crash. It is estimated that driving under the influence of alcohol, or drink-driving, is a key risk factor for 27% of all road injuries (WHO).
Reducing drink-driving involves enforcement of drink-driving laws, strong public awareness campaigns, and education on the risks of drink-driving, accompanied by the presence of enforcement activities. In this effort, the police are one of the key stakeholders in reducing drink-driving, as they are responsible for enforcing drink-driving laws.
Between January and March 2026, 10 workshops took place in five major cities, including Łódź, Katowice, Bydgoszcz, Mazovia, and Lublin, providing training to 1,416 law enforcement officers from the Polish Military Police Łódź Branch and Lublin Branch, the Katowice Police School, the Bydgoszcz Provincial Police, and the Mazovia Region Military Police. The workshops combined specialized sessions focused on assessing drink-driving in Poland and its societal impact, legal frameworks, blood alcohol concentration limits, and protocols for tackling drink-driving, as well as mandatory driver education and practical prevention strategies.
Participants were introduced to the Autosobriety Training Programme educational tools and a Virtual Reality (VR) experience to help young drivers learn about the effects of alcohol on the body and on driving performance, including its impact on perception, reaction time, and decision-making behind the wheel. They also learned about drink-driving laws in Poland and penalties for violations.
In addition, the Autosobriety Poland platform was made available to workshop participants to serve as a digital hub to access educational materials and online training modules to disseminate the Programme among young drivers.
These efforts are in line with Poland's Vision Zero strategy, aimed at eliminating fatalities and serious injuries on roads by 2050, prioritizing the reduction of high-risk behaviors and the protection of vulnerable users.
