DRAMATIC FALL IN DEATHS ON PORTUGAL'S ROADS
Even the most optimistic have been consistently surprised month after month this year as the number of fatalities on Portuguese roads continue to fall at an unprecedented rate.
Figures released this week by the Road Traffic Department (DGV) show that road deaths recorded this year (January to September) have plummeted 25 percent when compared with the same period last year.
After dropping to a record low of 1,094 fatalities last year, authorities are certain in predicting an even lower total the end of 2006.
These provisional figures indicate that by September 2005, a total of 820 road deaths had been reported.
Twelve months later, this total has fallen by 208 to an all-time low of 612, translating into a drop of 25 percent.
In addition to a reduction in fatalities, serious injuries are down 7.9 percent, while slight injuries have come down by 4.6 percent when compared with 2005.
Road authorities and government officials had last year released a road death target of 874 for 2010, but seem certain to revise this target four years in advance should the fatalities maintain their current course.
At the current rate, Portugal should reach the end of the year with a provisional road death total of 816.
Road fatalities were down in all of mainland Portugal’s 18 districts, except for Beja, with one more death, and Guarda, where nine more deaths were reported this year.
The Lisbon area topped road fatalities (70), despite a drop of 36 deaths in relation to the same period last year.
On a par with Santarém, Lisbon was also the region with the most pronounced reductions the number of road deaths.
Meanwhile, this drop of 25 percent is also considered the most accentuated drop in modern history and this progress is even more remarkable when it is recalled that less than a decade ago, almost two thousand deaths a year were being reported on national roads.
The Portuguese News
Comments
As someone who lives and drives here I find it hard to explain these figures. The standard of driving seems to me to be as appalling as ever. It is not possible to make a journey of more than just a few kilometres without witnessing incidents of dangerous driving.
Could it be that the relatively new rapid reponse paramedic services are responsible for reducing the number of lives lost through road traffic accidents? Perhaps a more interesting statistic would be the number of serious accidents.
It is about time the government took measures to improve the standard of driving in Portugal.
Has anyone else got any ideas?
Posted by: kev | October 11, 2006 02:30 PM
I think the figures probably have more to do with the high rise in the cost of fuel than any improvement in people's road awareness. The driving here is still shockingly bad compared to that in other countries, as I found out during a recent trip to Spain where the majority of drivers were not only much more sensible but also very courteous and much less ignorant than their Portuguese counter-parts.
Posted by: Richard | October 11, 2006 04:59 PM
having now lived here for the last two and a half years having retired from driving hgv's in england for the past 42 years I am confident in my driving and awareness and agree with the other coments as to the driving standards of the portugeues. They like the irish are wounderful people who I love dearly until they get behind the wheel then its the devil take the hindmost.
If you come across one coming the other way on a narrow road they will be in the centre of the road or on your side and will just keep going flat out and just stare blankley at you waiting for you to move out the way, this I think is the main reason for so many accidents, also there blind faith in the fact that if you cannot see round a blind bend its ok to overtake as nothing will be coming the other way. and the fact that they cannot bear to have another vehicle in front of them and will overtake regardless of any accident it might cause.
Posted by: bob Neal | October 24, 2007 03:15 PM