Road safety in Portugal reached its worst level by early 90’s, with the number of fatalities in road accidents peaking at 3,217 in 1991. Starting from 1993 the situation has continued to improve, and by 2006 the number of road accident fatalities was reduced to 949. This positive result was achieved against the background of a continued growth in road traffic. However, despite significant decreases in both the number of road fatalities and the average accident severity in the past decades, the average road fatality rate in Portugal was still at 123 per million in 2004, significantly above the EU average of 95. The major road safety problems today remain: • Excessive or inappropriate speed • Pedestrian safety • Drink driving • Unsafe infrastructure. To address these problems, “Plano Nacional de Prevenção Rodoviária” (PNPR) – the Government’s Road Safety Plan – was launched in March 2003, becoming a first programme document with quantitative long-term targets and the strategies for achieving them. Its operational priority objectives include curbing excessive traffic speed, enhancing safety for pedestrians and two-wheel vehicles users, fighting drink and drug driving, increasing the rate of safety belt and helmet wearing and the use of child restraint systems (CRS), improving key infrastructure construction and maintenance aspects and enhancing emergency help and post-trauma care. (Author/publisher)
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