If you have read the story and comments on my earlier blog post about English Cars in Poland you will know that until now it has been possible (although difficult) to register a RHD vehicle if the minister of transport gives permission.

This is against the European Union directives on free movement of goods which is why the EU reminded Poland in October 2009 that refusing to register RHD vehicles is against EU law and demanded a change in Poland’s regulations.

This new ruling by the supreme court is a result of Grzegorz Dorobek attempting to register his RHD Vauxhall Vectra and getting denied by his local authorities in June 2008.  He took the matter to court from where it escalated.  The voivodeship court in Kielce (Wojewódzki Sąd Administracyjny w Kielcach) ruled in April 2009 that “the positioning of the driver on the right-hand side has a negative effect on road safety” and that improving safety should be a fundamental target in a given country, therefore EU laws have no foundation to demand registration of this type of vehicle.  This decision was upheld by the supreme court.

Dorobek’s lawyer argued that Poland’s current position is confusing given that some RHD vehicles are given permission and some aren’t.  After the ruling Dorobek said he would consider taking the matter further to the EU.

Now you might see right-hand-drive vehicles over here or know someone who knows someone who’s got one. This is perfectly possible because a number of years ago you could do it if you were able to demonstrate that you had experience of driving RHD vehicles on the right of the road. But that was stopped a number of years ago (I don’t know when exactly).
This seems unfair to me given that you can register LHD vehicles in the UK, or register English RHD vehicles in France, but that’s the rules I’m afraid.

So if you have a car here from England you have 3 choices (to stay legal):

1. Continue to pay your UK insurance, return once a year to do your MOT, renew your tax disc on the internet. This is the simplest solution but with two catches – the first is that insurance in the UK costs a lot. The 2nd is that technically you are not allowed to have your car here for more than 12 months. But if you return every 12 months for the MOT then the clock starts again.
2. Convert your car from RHD to LHD. I don’t know anyone who’s done that because the cost of it probably isn’t justifiable. Labour is cheap in Poland but I am sure that would still be a big garage bill, not to mention that cost of new parts (dashboard, steering rack etc..)
3. Sell your car. Buy a local one.

If you don’t stay legal (i.e. your insurance runs out while your here) then if you are stopped by the police and can’t produce your documents there and then (you do always carry them with your right?) there is a chance your car will be impounded. Also I don’t think it’s worth the risk of driving without insurance anyway. It’s one of those things that you don’t need when you have, and always need when you don’t.