Impact of weather conditions and road type on traffic safety

This study investigates the combined impact of weather conditions and road type on traffic safety in Poland. Using police accident data from 2018 to 2024, we analyzed correlations between nine weather categories and five road types. Results show that single carriageway, two-way roads account for 73 % of incidents and 85 % of fatalities. The highest absolute number of deaths occurs in clear and dry weather (64.6 % of all incidents). Fog on single carriageway, two-way roads and snowfall on motorways are associated with fatality rates up to three times higher than the national average. The findings highlight the need for targeted infrastructure upgrades, adaptive speed limits, and improved driver awareness in both adverse and seemingly safe conditions. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and ANOVA were applied to 45 road–weather combinations.