In 2022 alone, 428 deaths were recorded, and are five roads, including Estrada Nacional 125 (EN125) that crosses the Algarve coast, which were responsible for 10% of the total number of fatal accident victims in Portugal. Part of this risk is due to its intense traffic, says Jornal de Notícias.

The five roads responsible for 10% of fatalities between 2020 and 2022 are: the EN2 (Chaves-Faro), EN109 (Porto-Leiria), EN125 (Algarve), IC2 (Lisbon-Porto) and the A1 (Lisbon-Porto), with 128 fatalities.

Mário Alves, president of “Estrada Viva”, explains that “these roads have varying profiles along their route, but they all share one characteristic: very intense traffic, which increases the probability of accidents”.

Manuel João Ramos, from the “Associação de Cidadãos Auto-Mobilizados”, states that this result is due to the lack of “audits and inspections on the majority of Portuguese roads. Drivers have no guarantee of safety on Portuguese roads”.

José Miguel Trigoso, president of “Prevenção Rodoviária Portuguesa”, states that providing means and financial resources is essential to reduce accidents, as well as strengthening supervision, especially against driving under the influence of alcohol.