The Polish Motor Transport Institute (ITS) consists of 15 departments dealing with all aspects of motorisation, including its economic, social, health-related and environmental impacts. Other than research, the institute carries out vehicle type approval, psychological testing and re-education of drivers as well as certification of transport products and services. The institute was founded in 1952 and employs some 200 full-time staff.
Within ITS, the Road Traffic Safety Centre is a separate unit dedicated solely to safety issues. Its activities include research, accident analysis, driver training and education campaigns. The Centre also provides periodic statistical analyses on major road safety trends in Poland. Since 1997, it has provided relevant data for the IRTAD, and since 2003 also for the European CARE database. The Road Traffic Safety Centre is also taking part in the subsequent SARTRE surveys, collecting Polish data on social attitudes to road safety.
The seven researchers employed by the Centre also conduct detailed research into topics such as speed, alcohol, pedestrians and young drivers. They also evaluate particular road safety projects and measures carried out in Poland, such as the introduction of child restraints, daytime running lights or school patrol crossings. More recently, the Centre has contributed to Poland's national road safety plan GAMBIT 2000 and coordinated work on the regional safety plan for the Warsaw region. It has also developed a new system for driver training and testing.
The Motor Transport Institute joined ETSC in July 2004, and the researchers of ots Road Traffic Safety Centre are actively involved in ETSC's ongoing activities.
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