According to PSP data released on the eve of their yearly ‘Safe Easter’ road operation, which started on Monday (15 April) and runs until 21 April, during the period January to March 2019 there were 3,842 accidents on the country’s roads; 308 more than the 3,534 in the same quarter of 2018.


Eighteen people lost their lives as a result of these accidents, which is three fewer than the 21 deaths registered during the first quarter of 2018; 168 people were seriously injured, up seven on the first three months of 2018, and there were 4,501 minor injuries, 377 more than the previous year.


The PSP notes that, “despite the drop in fatalities, road accident rates continue to be high”, and that their reduction remains “a strategic priority for PSP and for the country”.


The PSP’s ‘Safe Easter 2019’ operation is being staged throughout Portugal and will focus, specifically, on the prevention of accidents.


It is staged yearly due to the notable swell in traffic that is characteristic of this time of year, “not only within cities, but also to and from citizens’ homelands”, as well as tourists from countries such as France and Spain, for the Easter holidays.


“School holidays also contribute towards a greater movement of cars and people, especially in and around nightlife spots, promoting the consumption of alcoholic beverages and / or psychotropic substances, as well as the adoption of risky behaviours that lead to the occurrence of road accidents and / or increase their consequences, so greater emphasis will be placed on safety in the areas bordering these areas”, a PSP statement explained.


Accordingly, under the Cooperation Agreement for Police and Customs between Portugal and Spain and between Portugal and France, there will be police teams from those countries supporting the PSP.


Backup from the Police Nationale de France will bolster the PSP in Lisbon, while the Spanish CNP will be supporting the PSP in Olhão, Alcobaça and Peniche.


Similarly, a PSP patrol unit will travel to Salamanca to collaborate with the National Police Corps (CNP) to provide support to Portuguese tourists and students on school holidays in that part of Spain.


The PSP is further planning a series of interventions aimed at the elderly, in terms of crime prevention and the adoption of self-protection strategies and measures.