https://doi.org/10.21852/sem.1883
Children aged 0–14 constitute a particularly vulnerable group of road users because of their developmental limitations and the conditions in which they participate in traffic as passengers, pedestrians, drivers, or users of personal transport devices. This article examines the scale, consequences, and circumstances of road traffic accidents involving children in Poland between 2022 and 2024. It applies descriptive analysis to Police road accident statistics, demographic data, legal regulations, and relevant literature, comparing children aged 0–6 with those aged 7–14 and differentiating their roles in traffic. In 2024, 1,741 accidents involving children were recorded, resulting in 50 deaths and 1,838 injuries. Compared with 2023, the number of accidents decreased slightly, but fatalities and injuries increased, and the overall risk level remained high throughout the three-year period. Children aged 7–14 accounted for substantially more casualties, whereas 71.7% of casualties among children aged 0–6 were vehicle passengers. The analysis identifies limitations in perception, attention, spatial judgement, auditory processing, and reaction time as important psychophysical risk factors. The findings support age-specific road safety education and coordinated preventive measures directed at children, parents, teachers, drivers, and public institutions.
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Język Polski
English