The Institute conducts, coordinates and promotes research and deployment research activities in the field of road transport.

ITS began operating in 1952 under the Decree of the Minister of Road Transport and Aviation of 25 September 1951, on establishing the Motor Transport Institute.

The area of activity of the Institute is the entire country. The research problems dealt with by the Institute and over the past 70, have been undergoing constant changes. These changes were a result of the demand of the national economy and the road transport as well as the technical and organizational progress, both in the economy and transport.

The main thematic areas of ITS 2021-2030:

1. Safety in transport and road traffic - collecting and analysing accident data in order to identify sources of hazards, behavioural research, with particular emphasis on vulnerable road users, post-accident activities, programming of preventive measures, psychological tests, safety and technical tests of vehicles, testing of equipment for vehicle inspection and diagnostics.

2. Climate and environmental impact - analysis of the impact of road transport on the environment; exhaust emission, noise and vibration tests; research on reducing fuel consumption by internal combustion engines of vehicles and machines, development of electric vehicles, including hydrogen and alternative fuels.

3. Informatisation of transport - development of digital systems, transport automation and monitoring as well as support systems for vehicle drivers; analysing the impact of MaaS services (Mobility as a Service) and Intelligent Transport Systems, including Smart City solutions; computerisation of transport processes, expansion of databases (including CEPIK) and collection of knowledge on car transport, road traffic and its users.

4. Road transport economics - monitoring and analysing the transport market, researching the costs of transport companies, evaluating professional competences in transport, determining the economic effects of the negative impact of road transport on humans and their environment.

Within the four extracted areas, the following are complementary to them:

• innovative construction and material solutions as well as new technologies in road transport,
• transport accessibility and mobility of people with special needs, including those with disabilities,
• standardisation, certification, type-approval and conformity evaluation,
• education and preventive actions.

The essence of ITS’s activities are multidisciplinary solutions involving economics and transport organization, certification, telematics, psychology, tests: declaring a vehicles roadworthy, consumables, equipment, accessories and vehicle parts, and also recycling of disused vehicles and consumables. The Institute also carries out projects related to the environmental protection and safety of the road users, important for achieving the state’s socio-economic policy objectives.

The ITS operates Polish Road Safety Observatory (POBRD), supporting national and local authorities in the management of road safety. The bases of the POBRD’s IT system is a website - www.obserwatoriumbrd.pl that provides tools for analyses of data on road accidents. The persons with mobility impairments remain in the sphere of research activity of the Institute. As a result of work carried out by the ITS, in 2015  the Automotive Service Centre for Persons with Disabilities was launched  by the ITS - Poland's first institution providing a comprehensive support system for the mobility of persons with physical disabilities.

The Institute carries out a number of projects under EU programs, such as projects on electromobility, methanation or hydrogenization of the road transport. Another example among dozens of already completed international projects, there are several projects in the field of road safety, on among the others: unprotected road users,  modern elements of the training of driver candidates or testing drivers for the presence of alcohol and drug use.

ITS implements projects and scientific research initiatives, targeted and procured, under the Structural Funds. While running special projects and own projects-grants, the Institute provides support to the government bodies in the activities strategic for them.

The work of the Institute is focused on the immediate practical application, increasing innovativeness and competitiveness of the economy.