Driving in Poland from the UK

[@RichardFanders]

At 7:44 I meant to say double solid lines means no overtaking. And at 27:45 it's supposed to say 16.6 km/L not 6 km/L. I made these mistakes despite checking the video twice after the final edit.

[@Klopcyna]

Yes, I was confused. Thank you for your clarification

[@OriginalStachuJones]

VERY IMPORTANT THING - in residential zone pedestrians are ones who you need watch for as they are privileged. This means they can walk in the middle of the road and that's fine. Also parking in residential zone is allowed ONLY at predestined places, you cannot park wherever you like

[@OriginalStachuJones]

Also - if you see urban area sign with speed limit right below this means this speed limit applies to entire urban area, unless sign says different. After you pass junction you have to drive at speed that was under urbanized area sign

[@OriginalStachuJones]

When you join motorways, expressways or any other road that has this right joining lane you're treating it as regular junction - as soon as you drive on the right side of other motorways lanes this means you passed the junction, so the speed limit does not apply anymore and you're actually on a motorway already, but on the "running lane"

[@terryhoath1983]

Superb no-nonsense video. Well done although I would NEVER thrash the engine of a poor little Fiat. Good to see you using the Polish alphabet. I remember news readers in Britain tying themselves in knots over Lech Wałęsa.

[@bobikdylan]

Great video, Richard. I'm a Brit who's been living in Poland for over 20 years, and I'd like to add a few things. E10 is now in all filling stations. Until a few years ago, you didn't have to stop for pedestrians at zebra crossings. Now, if you don't, police will fine you 300 quid. Overtake on a zebra and say bye bye to your licence. Diesel is very often called olej napedowy (with a diacritic like a cedilla below the e in napedowy, pronounced ohlay napendovvy). At the pumps it's marked 'ON'. No seatbelt? Definite fine. Beware of tractors in rural areas. Every week I read about drunk farmers causing accidents. Poles have a well-established tradition of flashing to warn of speed traps, so be sure to raise a hand in thanks.

[@ipodman1910]

You always had to stop for pedestrians at the zebra crossing - it’s just the shenanigans related to intent of entering by the pedestrian. The law is getting more and more idiotic and totalitarian.

[@krisrudecki9477]

Im a Pole who was living for 15 years in England and after moving back and seeing the flash I didn't know what's going on ... then I saw the police and I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude and community spirit :) I always make sure to participate in the warning

[@bobikdylan]

@@ipodman1910 Not quite. I was once stopped by the cops for driving past them when they stopped for a woman who was waiting. It was a dual carriageway and they made every appearance of carrying on but they slammed on the brakes at the last moment. It was clear entrapment. They stopped me down the road but couldn't ticket me because the woman had not stepped foot on the crossing (that was the law at the time).They told me that. I think they could have given me points and a fine because I didn't stop when they stopped, but it was so obvious what they had done that I reckon they wouldn't have wanted a judge to see their dashcam.

[@bobikdylan]

@@krisrudecki9477 Yes, it has saved me a lot of money and a lot of points over the years, and I always do the same. I don't speed excessively, but as you know, the cops hide just after the built up area signs, which can be a long way before houses, knowing that drivers will be slowing down but still above the limit.

[@krisrudecki9477]

@@bobikdylan yeah they always pick a spot with the best "conversion" rate 😂 every rural area has those "gotcha" spots

[@vertino_]

tego sie nie spodziewalem

[@kamileq8422]

bez kitu

[@flesz_]

Angole sie przeprowadzaja do Polski, na odwrot co sie dzialo 15 lat temu

[@marcin949]

@@flesz_ci bogatsi zazwyczaj bo praca w zwykłych zawodach jest mało warta w Polsce i lepiej jest w UK

[@strawberriesandcum]

Ja też :O

[@strawberriesandcum]

9:33 , 15:50 jego żona jest z Polski

[@RooiGevaar19]

I noticed that at 19:45 you've entered the worst Polish motorway stretch, the A4 Legnica-Wrocław. This stretch was built during Hitler's reign over Lower Silesia, and is cursed for its lack of hard shoulders, poor quality, and tons of road accidents. The other motorways are of way better quality, and driving there is pretty comfortable (except for my home regions of Pomeranian Tri-City metropolitan region during summer break, where people go really mad and aggressive). Also, if we took the past into account, then we would notice that Poland has achieved tons of progress for the last 20 years - I remember my trip from Gdańsk to Zakopane in 2003, it was like 14-hour-long drive on national roads of poor quality, now it's 8 hours on well-made motorways. 😀 Greetings from Pomerania, Baltic Sea, and thank you for your superb videos. 🥰

[@erwinkonopka7071]

TBH Current state of Legnica-Wrocław has little to nothing to do with Hittler and is the sole fault of Kulczyk (Allegedly dead owner of company that build and "maintains" A4 and some other motorways) as he was responsible for it. Story goes that Kulczyk was mad that he did not got approval of making Wrocław-Legnica a paid stretch (An uncharacteristically pro-citizen move by our government.) so he explicitly ordered that part to be build without shoulders, as narrow as legally possible and as cheaply as possible. This is also the reason that it took for him to die (although him leaving instead is a popular conspiracy theory) for upgrade plan to be finally approved.

[@heart5929]

@@erwinkonopka7071 >although him leaving instead is a popular conspiracy theory no it's not

[@erwinkonopka7071]

@@heart5929 As a professional, tin-foil hat wearing schizo I must agree that this is not just a conspiracy theory but absolute and undisputable truth. However I was advised to present it as a conspiracy theory until I gather enough evidence to convince my therapist.

[@heart5929]

@@erwinkonopka7071 damn you got me

[@morvran9074]

@@erwinkonopka7071 Dayum Polish version of /pol/ spotted in the wild

[@anthonybrooker2702]

I am 80 , I have been driving to my second home in Nowy Sanz for 35 years , never had a problem , my Kia Sorento has done the trip 33 times , it's almost 15 years old now , it was 3 weeks old for the first trip !

[@dawid4190]

This is fantastic video! You came to Poland very well prepared and you did very good research. It is impressive that you have focused not only on the road rules, but also you learned a little bit of language, pronunciation, recent law improvements and even read some of road related news. No doubts, I have to subscribe this channel.

[@t3d3d]

It seems he has a polish spouse, so definitely well prepared 😁

[@bogdang.7627]

A very committed man, a perfectionist

[@robwol]

entertaining

[@SteveM-ly7oy]

I'll be honest. I've lived in Poland for 24 years and the roads have improved massively, in fact they are better than UK roads in most cases. Street lighting could be improved in some areas, especially in small towns and villages but this will happen. So it's great. The main problem is some Polish drivers. I must say that older drivers in Poland mostly follow the rules and drive too slowly sometimes! But there is a sizeable minority of idiots driving Audis, BMWS and Mercedes who are extremely dangerous and aggressive, flashing lights behind you, tailgating you, overtaking you and then slamming on their brakes, just to show you who's boss. The Police in Poland also have many unmarked cars, usually BMW 3 series, and fines for speeding have rising sharply recently, with the result being that most drivers do observe the rules. So it's not all bad news. I am happy to praise Poland, but beware of crazy drivers. If you would like to see how mad they are, there is a weekly youtube channel called STOP CHAM with a collection of dashcam footage. It's scary as xxxx. Oh, and be careful of trams in cities.

[@krasniczek4664]

Akurat z tym, że w Polsce jeżdżą wolno tylko seniorzy, to nie jest do końca prawda. Zdecydowana większość jeździ poniżej dopuszczalnej i to sporo. Gdy jest 90 Km/h to jadą poniżej 70 i to wynika albo z niewiedzy w przepisach albo po prostu się boją.

[@bobikdylan]

All true. Been here since 2000 myself, and have seen huge changes. Cops don't take bribes, and the roads are mostly great. The massive increase in fines has really focused the mind. I'll admit to a fondness for speed, and these new fines have made me change my behaviour. I reckon Poland has no more than its fair share of boy racers and reckless Audi drivers, and it's better than a lot of countries. True also about visibility, especially at zebra crossings. In my town I've been complaining about it for years, and late last year they finally put lights at several zebras.

[@ipodman1910]

You came here so behave! If you move to the left lane without checking your mirrors you had forced your priority and created a dangerous situation…

[@Filip-uw9jp]

@@krasniczek4664głównie zależy to od warunków na drodze na której się znajduje. W Polsce często porozstawiane są niepotrzebnie zbyt niskie ograniczenia prędkości, owszem, ale poza terenem zabudowanym czasami postawione są zbyt wysokie. W moich okolicach jest parę dość wąskich dróg gminnych i wojewódzkich, które po bokach mają głębokie rowy, a tuż za nimi - szpaler starych drzew. Ograniczenie na każdej z nich to 90 km/h, które jest zdecydowanie za wysokie, więc jedzie się tam nieco wolniej, nikt nie ma ochoty wpaść do rowu a potem jeszcze jebnąć w drzewo. Wyjątkiem są co poniektórzy kierowcy BMW.

[@krasniczek4664]

@@Filip-uw9jp Ja piszę o przykładach, gdzie jest prosta droga i można jechać te 90 km/h, natomiast ludzie jadą dużo wolniej... a to o czym Ty piszesz to inny temat.

[@gerhard6105]

Nice video. As a Dutch i have been to Poland several times. First time was in the late 1970's when i was 4. I think the Polish infrastructure is now much better and way more modern then the German one. Germany is stuck in 1990.

[@lukassbeataddicts]

Nah, almost there I say. 10 more years and should be on par. Poland growth scares me sometimes. Makes me feel old. Unfortunately I found the work doesn't last as long as german one. 5-10 years and Poles already resurfacing new road, while german road will be good for 20 years.

[@luckyluke4435]

😢😂😂😂

[@greycliffnative]

​@@lukassbeataddicts The new roads are very strictly controlled during a building process and time of use, in Poland. If any problem is found, one of the dozens big companies, responsible for a particular fragment, is made to correct it. The German situation of Berlin-Szczecin motorway is unimaginable in Poland.

[@tmcontractor]

Their 90' stuck is still more than our moving forward in present time..

[@VoidCosmonaut]

@@lukassbeataddicts Well In Holland what is firearms murder rate in comparison with Poland? You can't have all

[@HELLienadO]

I'm from Portugal, living in poland and got my driver's license here 9 years ago. In portugal there are also zebras on the traffic lights. When I drive in Portugal, blinkers are merely decoration on the cars for most people, and I have to pray before entering a roundabout... 😅one thing to add, people in poland thank you with the hazard lights.

[@Matticitt]

19:40 when you join a motorway the moment your road connects to it that's an intersection which cancels the speed limit. All exits/entrances have low speed limits because they often have sharp curves and there are no winter-specific signs in Poland so regular speed limit signs have to make it safe in winter too.

[@lukassbeataddicts]

Here is Polish guy returned home from UK learning from English chap how to drive in Poland. Got to love the internet.

[@Anticommunism99]

Many Polish , Bulgarians , Romanians returned from the UK , because it's a third world country now.

[@A_Canadian_In_Poland]

I have noticed a lot of Polish drivers often have little regard for speed limits except to slam on the brakes at photo radar areas (a blue warning sign always exists 1-2 km before the speed camera device)

[@19Qube]

Spoken from experience (with 14 years on Polish roads), most of drivers in Poland will go 10-15 km/h above speed limits, so 55-60 in cities, 90-100 out of city, as the fines for those speeds are relatively low. On motorways beware the luxury SUVs or newer sports car, they tend to run above 160km/h most of the time. In regards to speed cameras the law changed few years back, now they have to be highly visible (yellow, and in plain sight) and marked by a sign, they used to be placed in wild places (bushes, behind buildings, even in full camo) - folks were spotting those last minute and hit real hard on breaks.

[@wlodek7422]

Its case mostly with new cars - those can really be dangerous for everybody around as they have dumbest drivers - i had to brake a lot just to let them overtake me yesterday for example because idiot would go into head on colision with car on opposite lane if I didn't brake - though most people(myself included) go 10 kmph over speed limit usually anyways - there's sort of unwritten rule among police that they dont really enforce it(or so that's what brother of my friend who is in police told her)

[@pgruszewski]

A Pole here, living outside in the West for 20 years. Every time I come back to old country, it strikes me how savage they are when comes to overtaking. Especially, if it's a company car and they're some kind of sales reps, but not only. I used to be the same, now it scares the bejaysus out of me.

[@user-fw7lz2wo5d]

Not just Poland, welcome to continental europe

[@pgruszewski]

@@user-fw7lz2wo5d ?? You ever been outside ex-commie Europe? Western countries do obey speed limits. Every time I'm back in Poland I feel like traffic rules are only suggestions... Born and raised in PL I used to be the same, but now 20 years in the Western country, and I'm genuinely scared when back on Polish roads.

[@UnusSedLeo-w5l]

Drove a lot in Poland in the 1990's and earlt 2000's. Those roads were an adventure on their own. Good to see the infrastructure improved a lot. Thanks for the vid, richard, very informative!

[@Mandanara]

Now there is much more traffic on the roads, more speed limits, cameras and no passing zones, it's no longer the wild "east" as it used to.

[@MrAnonimowo]

How bizarre… now the roads in the UK look like Polish roads in the ’90s.

[@UnusSedLeo-w5l]

@@Mandanara Haha, yes, we had some fun with our 'fast cars' back in the days. Now the Polish people drive the faster cars.

[@lm157]

@@MrAnonimowo My thoughts exactly heh 😁

[@matt112fly]

I'm Polish but this was quite useful - learned a lot. Thanks! funny how you said driving within speed limit causes danger here, haha

[@na-yp4xq]

to nie jest smieszne

[@flyingcat8160]

About E10, it's been introduced just in January 2024, so now we already have E10. Also true about speed limits, I'm often overtaken even if I'm doing like 65 on 50 haha, it's so typical to feel slow even a little bit over the speed limit. Thanks for polish episode and greetings from Lublin (eastern Poland, not Lubin :P, it is easy to mistake)

[@RichardFanders]

We actually drove through Lubin from Jelenia Góra to Wrocław. My other half mentioned it's not Lublin.

[@piotrr4097]

Nice video. Just few remarks from me: 01:30 yes, you need to signal when turning right on this junction, as you are changing the direction. Priority do not impact the obligation to signal in any way. Many people in Poland do not understand this simple rule and their way of using indicators is out of any logic (or not using them at all, which is also quite common). 13:40 please do not say things like that! That is simple justification for braking the law, and simply not true at the same time. It is not you causing danger when going within the limit. It’s them, with their stupid disrespect to the law and safety rules. Poles have the obsession about overtaking, by the way. 22:28 it is much more convenient to pay by phone application. There is several of them, you need to register your car there and provide method of payment. In that case you can use one of the lanes that are on your left, which are usually much less busy, the barrier will open automatically, and the price is lower (13 PLN instead of 15 PLN per toll point). By the way, the motorway between Kraków and Katowice is one of the biggest scandals in Poland's recent history. Around 20 years ago it was handed over to the management of a private company. Now it is ridiculously expensive, and since that 20 years it’s in permanent repair or reconstruction with speed limits on much part of it. If to add huge waiting lines on toll points, using it for saving time of travel or comfort of driving is pointless. You mentioned at some moment about gaps. This is another huge problem in Poland, along with disrespect for speed limits (and maybe lack of ability of using indicator). Tailing is pretty common here. The same applies to overtaking and going back to your lane right in front of the mask of the overtaken car. This is not only dangerous, but extremely annoying when you are using adaptive cruise control and also one of the reasons for traffic jams (in high traffic the overtaking car force everyone behind to slow down).

[@mateuszzdrenka3403]

Regarding the obligation to use turn signals on a right-of-way road - it's not entirely true that some people don't understand it. In the past, when driving on a right-of-way road, you didn't have to use the turn signal. I'm not sure exactly when this regulation changed, but I remember that when I was getting my driving license in 2008, the instructor told me about it. He advised me to be cautious because previously, using the turn signal on a right-of-way road was not required, and some drivers were taught that way and it became a habit for them.

[@piotrr4097]

@@mateuszzdrenka3403 well, precisely speaking, this is not true. The regulation about using the indicators did not change at any moment. What is true, is that at some moment (I don’t know when exactly) a strange interpretation appeared and became quite popular, that you shouldn’t use indicators when having the priority. Which doesn’t change the fact that this is out of logic and equals to deep misunderstanding of the rules of using indicators. What is even worse, there are still instructors today, who teach that way. In Poland people generally have problems with indicators, even in very straightforward situations. One of the most common mistakes is turning them too late, when making a turn, when this do not provide any useful information for all the others on the road. Not using the indicator when leaving roundabout is also pretty common. Oh, and of course according to our dominating interpretation, there is absolutely no need to signal, when you are in residential area or on the parking area.

[@mateuszzdrenka3403]

@@piotrr4097 Certainly, you are probably right that there wasn't such a law; it was just an interpretation of that provision. I tried to find information online about when this law changed, but I found nothing, so you must be correct. However, I distinctly remember my instructor in 2008 telling me to be cautious at intersections with the right of way because some older drivers might not use their turn signals. Unfortunately, I don't remember if my instructor mentioned whether the law had changed or if it was just an interpretation. Regarding the use of turn signals, you're also right. It really annoys me when people don't use turn signals, especially when I'm waiting for someone coming from the left, for example, on a roundabout, and they don't signal when exiting. Despite the need for improvement in the use of turn signals in Poland, there are countries where it's much, much worse. In Southern Europe, almost no one ever uses turn signals.

[@needcraft21]

It's typical in Poland to go 10-20 km/h more than the speed limit so yeah, it can be annoying to see someone go the actual speed limit if you are from Poland lol

[@Mandanara]

Fastest way to out yourself as a tourist or a drunk driver.

[@Bartekpelzak]

@@Mandanara or they're probably just a new driver that's afraid of getting a ticket.

[@izimsi]

and everyone looks at the GPS speed to be sure they can go as fast as possible, so following speed limits when using your speedometer makes some people quite nervous when they see it's actually 80km/h on a 90 etc

[@doink5ter]

@@Bartekpelzak no, not really. when there's a cop around everyone's driving no faster than 5 above the speed limit.

[@pirat87pl]

I drive the speed limit all the time. I'm Polish and an experienced driver. I just think most drivers are irresponsible to drive over the limit. 50 vs 70 is a big difference in breaking distance. I don't need to prove anything to anyone by driving faster than others. It's also not going to save you any time, especially in a city. You wanna drive fast? Go to the track. Don't bullshit me there's no tracks in Poland - there's plenty and I've been to a few of them. It's also fairly affordable. Cheaper than a speeding ticket.

[@cezaryzalewski750]

I'm a driving instructor from Poland watching your YT channel since few months. For me it is a source of knowledge and inspiration. I'm conducting driving courses for foreigners in English and once I even thoguht about going to UK and get some experience and practice with colegues from one of driving schools from there. Just imagine how suprised I was seeing that you came here to Poland. 😂 It would be even more suprising if somehow you wil drive through my city :D

[@mini_bomba]

Fun fact: you're actually required by law to keep distance between you and the car in front of you on an expressway or motorway. (equal to half of your speed in km/h, interpreted as meters)

[@moscuadelendaest]

If you cannot be bothered with conversion in real-time while driving 140 km/h just count to three. It should take you around three seconds to get from where you are when you start counting to where the car in front of you was when you started.

[@wiciuwiciu2783]

Dumbest thing ever. It should be 3 second distance at least. Going 140km/h you travel trough 70m faster than human reaction time!

[@mini_bomba]

@@wiciuwiciu2783 and some don't even respect that law...

[@mikaelkorpela]

Just did Suwałki-Kraków and back. I used to travel all over Poland a lot in past. Mixed feelings! - Roads are WAY better than 10 years ago. Like a different country now. Back then not many highways, slow, dangerous, and full of potholes. - Still a lot of lorries around but they're much less on the way due to highways. - Drivers aren't driving as crazy and as dangerous as 10 years ago, but still like to take over often, and sometimes dangerously. I feel safer elsewhere in Eastern Europe. I'm used to Eastern European traffic and often go a bit faster (as the rest of traffic), but others go even faster in Poland. 😅

[@Mandanara]

Just go with the flow of traffic, If you are holding up a long "snake" behind you find a place to pull over and let them go, less stress for everyone involved. Most of the speed limits are like the pirate code, guidelines more than rules, going 10 over is almost impossible to get a ticket for.

[@Perrcell]

​@@Mandanaraor others should obey the law and drive what they are supposed to huh.

[@Mandanara]

@@Perrcell what a silly notion

[@alh6255]

Eastern Europe???

[@mibars]

I remember when about 20 years ago a travel from Warsaw area to either mountains or the sea was a whole day deal on dangerous single carriage roads. Now you can easily travel to e.g. Gdańsk for business in the morning and return in the afternoon.

[@lukerygielski628]

As a Polish Canadian, living in Canada, driving in Poland terrifies me. I've saved this video for future reference when we go back and visit.

[@tomaszmagierowski2166]

For whatever reason I have been watching UK driving test videos even though I passed my exam in Poland a bit more than a year ago. Now this crossover is a really nice surprise, and the fact that part is in my home city of Wrocław makes it even better. You literally rode on one of the roads I would take to the exam area from my driving school and back (the one near the Sky Tower).

[@lemonpebble]

Same here! Except for the fact that I've passed my test 7 months ago near Wrocław ^^

[@arcz15]

Me too, I have passed my test in Poland, but I like to watch how people are driving in UK: different side of the road, steering wheel on the right and highway code. I even thought about buying RHD car in a future

[@alarmolord]

Richard came all the way to Poland for us! In KZbin analytics, he probably has seen that there's a fraction of viewers from Poland. And decided to make a surprise video :)

[@alarmolord]

I'm from Belarus, but I learned to drive and passed the driving test in Poland, Warsaw. And I'm still watching videos about driving, still learning, even from those who drive on the wrong side of the road :) This channel quality is at a very high level. And I think there is some general knowledge that's applicable to any country.

[@lemonpebble]

@@alarmolord True! I've learned a lot about deeper understanding of my vehicle and generally why to do some things from Richard's channel, while my driving lessons just taught me driving without explaining much

[@kapika7348]

I am shocked. Been watching you very often for couple of years and suddenly a video in my country 😅🇵🇱

[@adriengrouvel4651]

Actually the fact that a speed limit is cancelled by an intersection (except in a 30km/h zone) also exists in France, so I guess it’s the same all throughout mainland Europe 🤷‍♂️

[@sekainomado]

It just makes sense doesn't it? How else am I supposed to know what's the speed limit on the main road I'm entering at the intersection if there's no speed limit sign after the intersection? How am I supposed to know there was a sign 500m before the intersection? That's just pure nonsense. I think having separate signs for speed limits on a road stretch and for zones with speed limits, like in many EU countries is just a better solution.

[@szymon940]

It doesn't work like that in Germany

[@bordersw1239]

Just checked a map and it seems to confirm that the U.K is indeed in Europe.

[@ahmadalwadi9156]

@@bordersw1239 This made me laugh - I had a few people make the elementary misconception that because of Brexit the UK is no longer European, always makes me laugh, but its not the worst one, the worst one has to be when the same person claims multiple times that the Middle East is not Asian because "It is not the same Asian" and like I have tried explaining that a subcontinent does not make it not Asian but to no avail

[@bencodykirk]

Even before the whole Brexit debacle British people have tended to consider "Europe" to mean mainland Europe I think. People get political boundaries and geographical boundaries mixed up.

[@UltimatePerfection]

The most important thing to remember for the UK people thinking about coming to Poland is that here we drive on the right side of the road, not the wrong one.

[@cyprianbeecroft569]

When I saw that "Szlychtingowa" sign, I was so surprised! My family is from the area around there (Leszno) and I have driven past there many times!

[@Mean_Zer0]

Great video. A rule of thumb in poland is to conform to the traffic around you. If you are overdoing a speed limit a little, conforming to the traffic, you will not be fined - the person in front will. You conformed to the traffic in order to avoid creating danger on the road.

[@Daofski]

Greetings from Poland, thank you so much for your videos 🧡

[@ahmadalwadi9156]

Wow they have roadworks with actual works - makes me tear up. Really enjoyed the video!

[@pogoking4000]

When you were entering the motorway, the 50 speed limit applied to the road leading to the motorway. The road has then intersected with the motorway, which cancelled the speed limit. The give way sign also applied to the intersection - you have to give way to everyone who is already on the motorway. This is how these signs make sense 🙂

[@gerhard6105]

In the Netherlands, all give way sign where intering the highway lanes have been taken away because: the blue highway sign has the meaning already that traffic on the highway has right of way and when changing lanes, you also have to give way to all other traffiic. And that is what you do when intering a highway " slowlane". So now i see all those useless sign in EU countries when entering a highway.

[@pogoking4000]

@@gerhard6105 agreed that this could have been fixed with one or two sentences in the rule book. Would probably be much cheeper too 🙂

[@chris53small]

Driven all manor of vehicles on the roads of the UK and only Motorways and a few country lanes in Europe But eventually my partner and i will move to Poland to settle down and i must admit i am a little uneasy about Navigating busy built up areas and this vlog went some way to easing my concern . Really well put together thank you Richard.

[@Yrbanmaten]

Honestly seeing you in my country after helping me pass driving license in that country is crazy

[@tonik289]

Great video, some remarks below: 1:16 It doesn't matter if you follow the thick line or not, you never have to give way to the cars from the left, but if you're leaving the thick line, you may have to give way to the cars from the right. 1:34 The need to signal your manouver is irrelevant to the priority rules. You change driving direction or the lane you're on - you signal. 2:59 And this is the same with all other forbidding signs (the ones in circles with red border). 4:58 Sometimes that diamond isn't there, but if you wonder if you've got priority, you have to watch if there is a triangle or octagon on a crossing road (hence their shape - so you know what sign it is from behind). 5:08 Usually you're warned by an additional warning sign that you approach such a crossing or that you're entering a zone with such ones. 6:49 Sometimes you may see a small repeater on the same pole, that the main light is, but on the eyesight level, but it's quite rare. 7:28 Double line means no crossing it (and the broken parts are exclusions, where you can e.g.turn), but you're still allowed to overtake if you don't cross or touch it. 8:15 I'd say you're on the right side of the road ;) [Yeah, I know. Just had to do it :D] 15:34 It's because there's a hierarchy of signs, where the people directing traffic are at the top, if they're not present you have to obey the lights and in case they're not present or switched off (usually they're only blinking with a yellow signal then), you follow the signs, like the zebra. 16:46 Roads like that are quite common in Wrocław, it's because it was ruled by Germans and they built solid roads quite a long ago, so now they are probably maintained like that as a kind of a historical treasure. 18:46 As we can see by the behaviour of the first driver in line, he stopped even before the tram got there, because if he didn't, the people would have it harder to exit or enter the tram. 19:27 The limit is there because of the curvature of the road, as you explained later. In most cases you can expect the limits are set at a safe velocity to go on the bending road (but I've experienced the same in the UK) and when your road merges with the main motorway, this is a junction, which invalidates the limit. 29:08 Your assumptions correct :D 30:30 It seems a bit more complicated with the speed limits there. At 30:30 you're effectively going through a junction, so the speed limit is 100 (outside a city and on a dual carriageway) and it changes to 120 when you enter the expressway, but it wouldn't change if the limit were still valid, i.e. if the "60" was repeated after the roads merged. 33:10 It is not a good experience in Poland when you drive at a speed limit, but usually you're not blinked or honked at at least, as it may have been happening 20 years back ;) 34:13 There's a year-old law for expressways and motorways that you have to hold a 1.8 second distance to the vehicle before you (and this means you also shouldn't change lane too soon after overtaking), but it is followed similarly to speed limits ;] The law says exactly you have to maintain a distance in meters being half the speed in kmph, but it simplifies to holding almost 2 second distance. Thank you for the ride, it was a pleasure :D

[@maksymfedoriaka2851]

Thanks for the video. I found driving in Poland alright, except for rural roads. People don't actively harras you, but there's a fair bit of tailgating and sketchy overtakes there if you don't drive faster than the speed limit

[@MB-ny6is]

What a coincidence, I watched your videos before my road trip from Poland to Scotland, and now you're here, that was unexpected :) Great summary of the most basic rules, but you missed one important bit: if you don't stop before the "thin green arrow" you may get fined, because it's equivalent to a stop sign. I know, nobody does that, other drivers may even be surprised when you stop there. Nonetheless, telling people that you only need to give way might be getting them in trouble if a cop is watching.

[@RichardFanders]

Thank you for watching. I believe I did add a note saying you need to stop.

[@MB-ny6is]

​@@RichardFanders you did indeed. I must have looked away for a moment at that point and only listened. My bad, sorry 😅

[@Dozeji]

We've just introduced the E10 this New Year's Eve, as a matter of fact. It's been this whole debacle here - we have one of the oldest car fleets in the EU - The average age for a car here is about 15 years. Seeing folks in the UK rave about old Passats or Skodas makes me chuckle - we see them daily here lol As a Pole, I am really impressed by your pronounciations. Your significant other being Polish must've helped, I bet! I've been subscribed for a good little while. Thank you for this video, it's top notch as per always. I do agree about the drivers not willing to stick to the speed limit - they usually drive ~15-20 over it

[@shaewandaa2726]

Aaahh! You're an angel sent from above. I've been looking for a proper english explainations on road traffic in PL. This will surely help my practical exam this february. Thank you!! 🎉

[@LongLiveShamiko]

6:30 In poland you have to give way to pedestrians entering the crosswalk. If you don't do that you could get a very painful ticket.

[@RooiGevaar19]

he mentioned it, and he actually did it on 7:20

[@Mandanara]

also there are very heavy fines for passing a car before or at a crosswalk, including ones where both lanes go in the same direction.

[@PiotrPilinko]

@@Mandanara 15 points (out of 24) and at least 1500PLN fine. But when there is a pedestrian on a crossing, then you can loose your driving license almost immediately.

[@bolek_lolek]

Thanks, mate. I am from Poland, living in UK, having a driving licence for over 20 years, and I've learned something from your video. Cheers👍

[@CynicallySarcasticReserves]

Who would have thought that a guy simply driving and explaining why he drives the way he does could be so fascinating. Some of these rules I didn't know and _I live here_ . Granted, not a driver, but still. Videos like these are the hidden gems of KZbin.

[@symonlibera7011]

Dziękuję Richardzie za ten materiał. Since i never drove in Poland even though im from poland and only cycled on holidays when i was back home i was unaware of some of the infos.

[@christophermiller1685]

Video is very useful. Wroclaw is one of my favourite cities in Europe!

[@Substantiate]

Thank you for this video! I've recently passed my test in the UK, however I go to Poland quite a lot as I have a lot of family there, and with my license I'll probably be made to drive a lot from now on. From my experience in Poland, people do really like to overtake and in general don't drive as safely as I'm used to in the UK, which makes the experience a little stressful. You've helped me pass and you're still helping me and countless others become better drivers, thank you!

[@dzejrid]

The general consensus is, that you drive speed limit +10km/h. So in a 90 zone you drive 100. And nobody bats an eye. Even police sometimes lets it slide. But I wouldn't count on their good graces if they have a bad day (which is most of the time). But if they're not around your fellow drivers will not appreciate it. That's just how it is.

[@pm1996]

​@@dzejridI would also add, that planty of times I've seen marked police cars driving +20 km/h, especially outside buildup areas, they're still Polish afterwards 😂

[@dzejrid]

@@pm1996 I still wouldn't risk going over if there's a police car nearby, regardless of how fast they are going.

[@Tesla_Motors]

This is brilliant! Finally a good breakdown of road rules. Goes to say, a lot of polish drovers could benefit from such a video!

[@bennewton3560]

We went to krakow from the 26 till the 29th should have hired a car after watching this although the train was very good for getting most places. Such a beautiful city!

[@GregDixson]

This was really informative. Ive done a fair bit of driving in poland, including a couple of long haul trips from the UK. I rarely drive now, as the tram and bus network in the city is so good, but this helps nonetheless..especially the signage and road markings info. I do find the Poles to drive fast ...and faster than the limits. They dont give much space for overtaking ...and there's plenty of overtaking and changing lanes. It kind of wrecks my nerves! 140kmh is just a bit fast for me too. its like everyone doing 90mph on the UK motorway by comparison. The high speeds also make it troublesome with the slow truck lane.. i found myself stuck between trucks in that lane many times waiting to have a safe space to enter the speeding cars whizzing by in the other lane. Anyway, a great video 👍🏻

[@pirat87pl]

About driving the speed limit: A lot of people in Poland drive over the limit (usually around 10-20 km/h over) and there's A LOT of drivers who will get impatient and tailgate you. Most of the time you just have to be patient and careful. They will overtake you pretty much asap, but sometimes where it isn't legal or safe. On the motorways and expressways it's pretty common to encounter tailgaters, even when passing long lines of trucks. They'll even flash their lights. It's also pretty common to encounter cars going way over the speed limit (over 200 km/h even), they're often the most aggressive and flash lights a lot. Check your mirror frequently, because they come out of nowhere. We're working on improving this, but it's going slowly.

[@jerryorange6983]

7:05 They teach in Poland - you should stop the car in the way you can see the traffic lights. The line is not a stopping line, it the limit where you can stop.

[@geraldreynolds9650]

Hello Richard.Great video and i learneda lot from it.I moved to Poland from England four years ago and like you I also found that along the rural roads while you stick to the correct speed the other drivers go shooting past you.Anyway I will rewatch this as there are a few points I need to memorise better.

[@sebastiangorzki5396]

Overtaking and going up to 10kph more than speed limit is very common in Poland. As a Polish living in Wales for last 17 years I like that in Britain people are much more patient and not so much in a hurry. But I don't like when someone goes 20mph on 40mph limit :D Also I drive to Poland in my British car and it is very hard to overtake someone especially a lorry when your steering wheel is on the outer side of the road and you can not see oncoming traffic.

[@lukaszbarszczak1775]

I'm about to travel to Poland, and THANK YOU SO MUCH for this clear and concise breakdown of how to properly drive there!

[@Ussurin]

15:15 - traffic lights in Poland tend to not be active 24/7 but usually from 4 AM till 11 PM with some variation.It's so that night traffic isn't stopped for no reason. In cases traffic lights aren't active for any reason, the junctions function like any other junction without traffic, so in those cases zebras need to be painted onto the road anyway as to signify people have the right of way over cars. Otherwise there may be problems crossing the road, especially when the lights broke and it's middle of the day , not night, and cars go non-stop.

[@kaczkinson]

"traffic lights in Poland tend to not be active 24/7 but usually from 4 AM till 11 PM with some variation" - not everywhere, just in some places

[@mateuszQRDL]

Very good point

[@moscuadelendaest]

@@kaczkinson Yeah, nah. Still a valid point. Breakdowns do happen everywhere

[@kaczkinson]

@@moscuadelendaest breakdowns are not a switched off lights. if lights are broken - they're off at all. If lights are "out of operate hours" - there is only a flashing amber l ight (in Poland we say "yellow light" not "amber"). there are some places, where lights are not active 24h, but then the amber light is flashing. lights are active 24/7. in places with low traffic during the night time - can be just the flashing amber light. but usually it is on small side crossroads. if lights are totally off - they're broken.

[@Ussurin]

@@kaczkinson depends on the situation. I've seen situation where lights were broken, but set to amber lights, cause it was like "one bulp died" type of broken.

[@ryczkowsky]

Twoja końcowa ocena była najlepsza z możliwych. Ja jako Polski kierowca z od 98 roku byłbym znaczniej surowszy. Fajny materiał i w ogóle content . Pozdrawiam i sukcesów

[@cajotan]

This video is quite a pleasant surprise Richard! I’ve been watching your videos almost religiously for the past year, and thanks to you I passed my test - In Norwich, which is quite close to Colchester 😅 I’ve lived in the UK for nearly 18 years now (I’m 24 this month) and while I’ve never driven in Poland I have often thought about it since passing. Thanks to this video I’ll have a lot more confidence when I eventually do it.

[@invisiblehandofadamsmith]

Moved from london to krakow very happy

[@cosmiclatte7282]

Thanks for making this video pal, I'm polish living in the UK my whole adult life... passed my test here and not feeling confident driving in Europe. I've been looking for videos like this so thanks a million👍

[@LeoStep93]

Love these videos, Richard! The signs and rules are quite similar to Czech ones, although the speed limits on motorways are different

[@renataavgeri1132]

I went to Poland a couple of years ago and i have to say its beautiful. People are kind and patient, driving in the cities from what i observed as a pedestrian is organised and smooth. Only complaint i have is their English skills; and im not a native English language speaker. I could not order a scoop of ice-cream in center Krakow

[@sorensen4347]

it was enough to translate it in google 😂

[@DanielGrimes-bn4qb]

That surprises me. I visited Krakow twice last year (I’m British) and didn’t find a single person in shops, cafés, restaurants etc who wasn’t more than happy to speak to me in English.

[@Kborodo740]

English people do think that every1 else should speak English Poland is not made for English people Poland is just Poland :D I know there are many polish people in uk but there are more left in Poland :D

[@renataavgeri1132]

@Kborodo740 you say that when i clearly said im not English. Im greek. When you want to have tourists you should also know a common language to be able to communicate. In this casel English is the international language. I don't expect them to know English perfectly but at least if you have a shop to be able to take a simple order. I just wanted plain vanilla ice cream in a cup not a biscuit cone and i had to communicate with hand signals, try 2 shops and ask people walking by to help me

[@Kborodo740]

@@renataavgeri1132 I didn't say that direct to you I just say fact overall Im still surprise how many polish people do speaks English have in mind that most people been learning German at school, I always tho every1 in Germany speaks English but they dont but Poland is not even tourist country but slowly becoming one

[@thebaker8637]

Fun fact, the reason the diamond sign does not exist in the UK is because the Vienna Convention says left-hand traffic does not give way to the right by default, so it can’t be used in left-hand drive countries like the UK.

[@sexydog]

That‘s the stupidest reason there could possibly be

[@thebaker8637]

@@sexydog Yeah, but if you drive in the UK this sign is genuinely almost completely useless, as it signals what is already a rule in the highway code, ie. that traffic going straight will have priority over traffic turning into your way from a side street. In Europe this is not the case and you’re constantly playing “spot the back of the give way sign” which are often placed farther into a road without much visibility and without obvious road markings. So having the diamond is SUPER useful because you don’t need to slow down at intersections especially in built up urban areas to make sure you don’t need to yield to the right if a road is missing a give way.

[@lucynam9973]

@@thebaker8637"' In Europe this is not the case and you’re constantly playing “spot the back of the give way sign”" That's how it works in UK. Btw UK is in Europe.

[@NOBODY-bf9cs]

​@@lucynam9973I'm pretty sure he just meant "continental Europe", as UK is an island and I believe he realize it's also in Europe.

[@thebaker8637]

@@lucynam9973 No, it does not work the same way in the UK. This is only the case when you reach a 4-way intersection with everyone going straight. The highway code in the UK says you should wait for a gap in the traffic to appear before you emerge from a junction. In mainland Europe you as a person not changing direction may need to give way to a driver who is turning. And whereas in the UK pretty much all roads have priorities made clear, in France you even have roundabouts and major highways where right-hand-rule applies, ie. traffic in the roundabout or on the highway has to give way to people entering.

[@Lipston_94]

This was a very informative video! I’m still a relatively new driver and I had a recent trip back to Poland where I needed to rent a car, and I’m not going to lie, I was a bit nervous! It’s great to have all of this info in 1 place! I will defiantly be giving it a watch when I need a refresher on some of the differences between UK and PL !

[@wielkizderzaczandronow2869]

7:18 - A scrap collecting men pushing his cart is thankfull for your act of kindness ;)

[@czarliw1644]

Świetny filmik! Bardzo dobre przykłady! 😀👍

[@Ubersmieszek]

The video was very well made. You seem to know more about the traffic rules here than many of the domestic drivers (like in the case of the other drivers overtaking you when you're just obeying the limits). Great job :D

[@witkowskimarcin4552]

It is a very interesting video even for me as a Pole. Thank you!

[@Andre-De-Warr]

Brilliant, thanks for sharing this. My wife is Polish and we plan on visiting Poland again. Good to get the heads up on their highway code.

[@stefanburczymucha3352]

You re welcome 👍

[@samhodges4120]

Once again, we have the gift of an amazing video

[@HappyLittleBoozer]

Feels a bit nostalgic watching someone drive through some of the few streets of Wrocław I used to frequent when I lived there a few years ago. Excellent video.

[@richardwoad6477]

I drive big trucks in the UK and I would never drive in Poland. Wacky Races. You're a very brave boy. My wife is also Polish. She drives her car and I'm the passenger. Overtaking is terrifying in Poland. 🙏

[@Bakambol]

You are pus… or what?🤣

[@monicazag8206]

Think you might have saved my life and others. Thanks a million for this video. I feel more confident now driving out here.

[@SoulReaperIsHere]

How unexpected! I moved back to Poland last September with my family and was about to look into getting a few lessons to acclimatise myself to driving in Poland. Your videos were very useful in helping me pass the UK practical test so I'm glad to see you've presented your experience of driving in Poland. I have to say, when you mentioned that drivers like to drive faster than the speed limit here, that is very much reflected in Szczecin to sometimes an excessive degree considering this is a big city and much of the driving is on urban roads. I've also noticed poor use of indicators with many being given so late and for such a brief period of time that they might as well not have bothered. It doesn't worry me as in rural UK the use of indicators was also frequently sketchy but I get the impression it's worse here. 17:20 - Ah, you've experienced the infamous German roads! I hope you enjoyed your massage.

[@peterski2286]

Nice vid.in my 20s i lived in UK for 5 years.I found out drivers to be slow and clumsy so I drove around them like cones as I was used to free for all polish style crazy 🤣. I got used to it.Then I came back after 5 years and found out that polish drivers are crazy and everything happens so fast on the road 😂😂😂.15 years have past ,roads improved ,next gen drivers are slower and I am older and wiser.Police fines went sky high and this significantly reduced accidents and deaths on the road. We have to many signs on the road in my oppinion but you always know where youre going...loved uk for Cumbria and its mountain roads and magic roundabouts like one in Hemel Hampstead 😅

[@StefanMikulski]

Thank you for your excellent report Richard! You have grasped the rules of driving in Poland perfectly! E10 petrol has found its way to the Polish service stations since the beginning of 2024

[@bartekisbad6959]

At 19:40 the reason for the speed limit being 110 instead of 140 is that this section of the A4 doesn't meet current motorway standards, as it mainly lacks a hard shoulder.

[@sundaysunshine-nt1rw]

Nice one mate, Australian in PL here, very useful video, one thing I can never get used to are the absolute psychos that do over 200km/h on highways AND in built up areas, lack of police presence, and speed camera's make driving in Poland a very unpleasant and dangerous experience.

[@bartoszk4812]

Interesting video Richard. My English girlfriend was too terrifiedon those single carriageways and people overtaking and pulling back in lane just in front of you! 🙈 much more dangerous than in UK. I can see Gosia still doesn't want to get in front of the camera 😜

[@drzewo-pp9hr]

Super materiał.

[@f3nic86]

Just in time haha flying out for a skiing trip soon and got a rented car I remeber watching your videos to pass my test couple of years ago and thought i would not come back after passing :)

[@mikolajkozlowski]

At 20:00 that joining road, which you are using to get to motorway, when it connects to motorway its also an junction, so it cancels the 50km/h speed limit. That why just after, u have an repeated speed limit for motorway just few meters after.

[@maganzo]

I am a Pole who did his driving licence in Scotland and drove in both countries, your video is so spot on, we really do have traffic lights that break our necks!

[@qroz763]

Also in the residential zones along side the speed limit of 20km/h, pedestrians always have the right of way and are allowed to walk on the road

[@timjenkins8538]

Really helpful! Thanks so much. This came in very handy during my trip to Poland 🇵🇱 The roads were so much better than the UK!

[@qwalers]

Great video

[@sylwesterstarzak8277]

Watched that video with pleasure. Well done vid defo. As a Pole living in the UK for over 17 years, it made me emotional and a little bit homesick. 😂 thanks for that. Pozdrawiam

[@clyde34]

I always thought speed limit resetting at proper junctions was universal. The logic of it is that if you turn at a junction you would have no idea what the speed limit is on the road you just turned onto.

[@PiotrPilinko]

Not in Germany.

[@jarq19]

@@PiotrPilinko It is on the autobahns. Everytime you pass a junction the speed limit is repeated.

[@LeoStep93]

@@PiotrPilinkoso how does it work in Germany?

[@bencodykirk]

The driving in Poland seems to be ok from what you showed us Richard. Except maybe the speed limit business which looks to be about a bit cryptic and convoluted. Thanks for the fun ridealong though!

[@blacov89]

One of the reason why many people ignore the speed limit signs in Poland is because road planners have placed them in a way that it makes often no sense. You will see a sign changing the speed limit every 100m or so. Sometimes they enforce 50kmh limit (built up areas) where there are literally 3 houses around.

[@wesolek87]

Szanuję. Wiele twoich filmów instruktażowych obejrzałem. A teraz taka niespodzianka :)

[@markg1531]

A terrific video. I really appreciate it. Very well done.

[@szanar8422]

Thank you so much for this video! I have to show it to my S.O. since he wants to learn how to drive here and he's from USA. Serdecznie pozdrawiam Ciebie i drugą połówkę 🥟😎

[@dostawca-jedzenia]

Wow this film is really impressive. I've never heard any Pole explaining polish Road rules better than You did!

[@Asoftenkameshee]

So I'm Polish but I'm doing my driver's license in Norway, but this is super useful for when I'm going to be driving in Poland, thanks! 😎 Super educational video, as always!

[@reduuu_3461]

at the beginning, sorry for my english, but I'd love to say that after I passed my driving exam in Poland I was watching a lot of your videos from the other channel because you showed there very interesting driving techniques, etc. and now this video showed up on my youtube page, and after a few secound I was like wait... I know this voice 😂 and then I checked it and I was right. You're doing a great videos man, I've learned a lot from these so thank you, and good to know your secound half is from poland 😂 cheers mate

[@bad_spider]

"me driving within the law causes danger here" -hahaha gold, but also so true

[@matthewnawrot3477]

Hi Richard, @RichardFander Great vid I have to say. I can’t believe that you drove through my home town. My parents come from villages close to Jarocin. Potarzyca and Nosków. I hope you enjoyed your time there!

[@gerbipospolity6987]

Lovely video! Quite a surprize to see you come visit Poland (Hope you enjoyed your stay!) as I have used your British driving lessons/videos to learn for my Polish driving test! 😂

[@Bojownik666]

It's so nice to see a video from Poland. I'm Polish and I live in England and also I have passed my driving test in UK. Hope you had great time in Poland! :)

[@valeletterbox]

Richard a huge big thank you for this video. I watched it several times before leaving for Poland and hiring a car in Bydgoszcz and then driving to Zambrow in the east. Plus driving around town and a wedding out in the countryside. Everything you said in this video was spot on and I encountered all during the week..Also it appears you are our go to for other things, I own a mazda mx5 nb and find your nd videos of great interest. My son is learning to drive and he watches your driving school tips...cheers mate. My next driving abroad will be Prague to Ostrava across Czech...hmm let me see if you have a video on it ..

[@opera-ui9px]

Additional speed limit is (mostly 30) like at 2:47, but on the white square background it have differnt meaning... its speed limit for AREA, NOT to junction. Another thing is that at 7:56 is NOT the 'end of restrictions" but, end of banned overtaking.

[@niconico2412]

Im from Poland. Happy to see you in Poland 😊

[@Makovchenko]

Cheers mate, really great job! Good to see it. One thing, you must always signal the direction of travel, even if you driving on the road with priority (1:08). I agree, some people drive terrible about speed limits, but fortunately, the situation improves over time. 10 years ago, there where no people who drive 140kph on motorway, only old mans who drives around 90kph and maniacs with 180 on the counter. That was awful. Now it's gettin better. I hope, in 10 years it will be completely improved. Good luck and thank you for the video!

[@mskiptr]

You're spot-on about people rarely keeping within the speed limits. It is usually taken as a "suggestion" and whenever there's a good-visibility, straight road people will easily go 20km/h above that The uncontrolled four-way intersections are pretty common in cities (and I guess in housing areas in general). The green light comes in two varieties though: First, there's the full green circle which means you can go, but you have to watch for people crossing the street and if you're turning left you have to give way to all the other cars. On the other hand, a big green arrow (straight, to either side, or some combination thereof) means there'll be nothing to watch out for.