Pre-New Year Weekend in Portugal: Zero Road Deaths, but Injuries Continue

In the final weekend before the New Year getaway, Portugal’s main police forces counted more than a hundred road mishaps but, remarkably, no lives were lost. The figures mask a worrying trend: despite a national push to halve traffic deaths by 2030, serious injuries stubbornly persist and risky behaviour remains rife.

Holiday rush leaves 40 injured but no fatalities

Over the 24-hour span between Saturday morning and Sunday, the Polícia de Segurança Pública logged 106 crashes across its urban jurisdictions. Two motorists were left with life-threatening wounds, while another 38 people suffered minor trauma—a tally roughly in line with last year’s festive surge. The operation forms part of “Polícia Sempre Presente – Festas em Segurança”, an annual deployment that floods critical corridors with blue-lights and breath-test kits.

Where the numbers stand

• 0 deaths, a relief given the traffic volume.• 2 critical injuries, both requiring hospital transfer.• 38 light injuries, mostly whiplash and bruises.• 106 total incidents, spanning rear-end shunts in Porto, side-swipes on Lisbon’s Segunda Circular, and a handful of single-vehicle spin-outs on rain-slick national roads.

How this weekend fits the broader Christmas picture

Since 18 December, PSP and its rural counterpart, the GNR, have tallied 4 847 collisions, with 15 deaths and 1 444 wounded. While those absolute values sound grim, they actually mark a 20 % drop in fatalities and a 15 % reduction in serious injuries versus the same Christmas window in 2024, according to preliminary data from the National Road Safety Authority. Analysts credit heavier speed-camera coverage and a spike in roadside alcohol tests—almost 2 M checks this month alone.

Why drivers still slip up

Authorities have yet to release forensic breakdowns for the most recent 48 hours, but past audits underline familiar villains:

• Excess speed remains the lead trigger, flagged in 68 % of automated citations.

• Phone distraction continues to climb, especially on ring roads where commuters treat traffic jams as screen time.

• Fatigue—often underestimated on the post-Christmas run—accounts for nearly one-in-three motorway crashes.

• Alcohol: despite tighter limits, 380 drivers were detained for drunk driving during the first week of the current operation.

What authorities are changing – and what still lags

Under the draft “Visão Zero 2030” blueprint, Lisbon pledged to cut both deaths and crippling wounds by half within five years. Concrete steps already visible on the ground include:• A 48 % jump in speed enforcement since 2023, powered by the nationwide SINCRO radar grid.• Mandatory road-safety action plans in every municipality, targeting black-spots such as the EN125 in the Algarve.• New EU rules enabling cross-border fines for infractions caught on camera, closing a loophole that let tourists dodge penalties.Yet the master plan itself awaits Cabinet sign-off, and Portugal still posts a road mortality rate above the EU average. Campaigners argue that tougher penalties for mobile-phone use and faster upgrades to ageing rural highways will be crucial if the downward curve is to stick.

Quick tips before the New Year drive

Before hitting the road for Réveillon celebrations, traffic police offer five reminders:

Plan around peak hours—late afternoon on the 30th and midday on 1 January are historically congested.

Check tyre pressure; cold snaps reduce grip.

Assign a sober driver or pre-book a ride-hailing service.

Rest every two hours; fatigue accidents spike after dark.

Glance at weather alerts—Atlantic squalls can flood coastal IC routes with little notice.

A quieter weekend in terms of fatalities should not breed complacency. As inspectors like to repeat, the score resets to zero every time a family turns the key. Safe travels—and keep an eye on that speedometer.