In a joint statement, the National Road Safety Authority (ANSR), GNR and PSP inform that between 14 and 18 April, 37 serious injuries were recorded, 10 more than in the Easter period last year (1 to 5 April), which represents an increase of 37 percent, and 456 minor injuries (+46.6 percent).

Accidents on the roads also increased compared to the Easter period last year, with a total of 1,352 (+32.5 percent).

According to the authorities, the five fatalities resulted from accidents that occurred in the districts of Braga, Coimbra, Lisbon, Portalegre and Vila Real.

Inspections

In total, more than 1.4 million cars (1,480,339) were inspected over the festive period, either in person by the GNR and PSP, or through radar control (97.8 percent of the total).

Of the vehicles inspected by radar, 12,655 were speeding - of which 3,835 were detected by the GNR and PSP radars and 8,820 by the ANSR -, resulting in an infraction rate (total number of infractions/total number of inspected vehicles) of 0.85 percent, 44 percent more than in 2021 (0.59 percent).

Drink driving

With regard to driving under the influence of alcohol, 17,042 drivers were tested, of which 527 had a blood alcohol level higher than the maximum allowed. Of these, 310 were arrested.

The infraction rate recorded was 3.1 percent, above that recorded in the same period of 2021 (0.8 percent).

177 offenses were also detected for using a cell phone while driving, adds the ANSR.

“Despite the progress made in the last 25 years in Portugal, the number of deaths and serious injuries due to road accidents remains very high”, underlines the press release, adding that, on average, in the last decade, 650 people per year have lost their lives and more than 2,000 were seriously injured.