A young girl was run over recently while on her way home from school. Ana Rita, 15, was on a zebra crossing when she was hit by a red Porsche driving at high speed. The result was fatal.
Unfortunately, this scenario is a common one on Portugal’s roads, with almost 100 deaths in the first six months of the year. In total, 3,306 pedestrians were run over, 97 died, 387 suffered major injuries and 2,822 suffered minor injuries during this period.
According to the General Administration of Transport (DGV), the majority of victims are elderly. Of the 97 deaths this year, 36 victims were 65 or over and, of the 387 victims suffering major injuries, 123 were also in this age group. Children aged 14 years or under were the main age group to suffer minor injuries – 658 were treated in the first half of the year.
The majority of accidents that cause death or serious injury to pedestrians occur in towns (406), compared to 78 accidents registered outside the cities.
