This is the message coming out of the latest report by road safety authority ANSR.
Road deaths (which at last official count were 8% up on the tally for 2018) are worst in the districts of Porto and Braga.
Viana do Castelo and Vila Real are at the more positive end of the scale (registering least number of deaths), and for readers in the Algarve, Faro doesn’t even figure in the various texts released.
Nonetheless, there have been 148 deaths on the nation’s roads since the start of the year (to end April), and this is 11 more than were registered last year.
The numbers mean that in spite of all the ‘police campaigns’, road deaths have increased for the third year running.
In 2017, 130 people died. In 2018 that number was up by seven, and now we have the 148 tally.
Say reports, these numbers only refer to people registered ‘dead at the scene’ or who died ‘on the way to hospital’.
Numbers for people seriously injured in road accidents have also increased on 2018, with a total of 605 people badly hurt in the first four months of the year, as opposed to 547 the year before.
ANSR reports that 12,529 people received light injuries in the same period – again an increase on 2018.
As part of ongoing campaigns to try and make drivers aware of the dangers they face, police this week will be cracking down on anyone seen using their mobile phone at the wheel.
Operation ‘Phone Off’ will last until May 12.
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