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ROAD ACCIDENTS IN PORTUGAL
POR
ROAD ACCIDENTS IN PORTUGAL Maria MARGARIDA Vieira Pita de OLIM, Mba. ARMINDA da Conceição das Neves GOMES, Eng. Direcção Geral de Viação, Observatório de Segurança Rodoviária, Lisboa, Portugal (Received July 31, 2000)
1. INTRODUCTION
4,500,000
Portugal has a surface of 89,000 square km, with a population around 10 millions inhabitants. There are 12,000km of roads and 900km of motorways. The total number of vehicles is slightly above 4.4 million. Road safety measures have been enforced in order to curb the trend in accident rates that in 1996 were among the highest in Europe (13.46 accidents per 1,000 vehicles and 0.26 killed per 1,000 inhabitants). In this paper we analyse data from the last four years.
3,500,000
The road accident and injury information system is handled by Direcção Geral de Viação (Portuguese National Traffic Department) based on police reports.
500,000 1996
1997
49,265
49,417
3.92
4.20
4.91
4.48
1997
1998
1999
As expected, there is a parallel growth in both the number of vehicles and fuel consumption.
9
10,000
8
0 1997
1998
Accidents per 1,000t of fuel
2,500
2,100
1,939
1,865
0.6 1,737
0.5 0.4 0.3
1,000
0.2
500
0.1 0.0
0 1996
1997
1998
1999
Fatalities per 1,000t of fuel
Fig. 4 Fatalities
IATSS Research Vol.24 No.2, 2000
1999
Since the year 1997 the number of accidents has been decreasing (-1,287) and this trend is well expressed by the number of accidents with casualties per 1,000 tons of fuel consumption;
Fatalities
•
12
10
1,500
Fig. 1 Vehicles and fuel consumption
100
47,978
30,000 20,000
2,000
Vehicles (millions) 1996
49,319
Fig. 3 Road accidents with casualties
Fuel (millions of tones) 3.66
1999
11
Accidents
4.24
1998
Fig. 2 Number of registered drivers
3. TRENDS FOR THE PERIOD 1996 - 1999 4.59
3,847,998
1,500,000
1996
4.41
3,550,700
2,500,000
60,000 50,000 40,000
2. ACCIDENT REGISTRATION
3,179,752
3,370,444
Figure 4 shows a decrease (-363) in the number of fatalities. 12,000 10,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 0
10,842
1996
9,335
1997
8,177
7,602
1998
1999
3.0 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 0.0
Seriously injured Seriously injured per 1,000t of fuel
Fig. 5 Seriously injured
The number of seriously injured has been decreasing (-3,240) steadily since 1996.
4. ROAD SAFETY POLICY MEASURES – – – –
– – –
– –
The release of an integrated national road safety plan focused on all road users; Creation of local road safety councils; Enforcement of laws concerning speed limits, alcohol and drugs consumption; Financial support for improvement of road safety infrastructures at the municipality level, such as traffic calming solutions in urban areas, implementation of traffic lights, construction of sidewalks, black spots treatment; Improvement of medical care on the spot; Compulsory technical inspections of vehicles; Revision of the driver education system and regulations concerning driving schools, instructors, theory tests, driver training sites; Zero Tolerance to serious road traffic violations, speeding and drink-driving; and Integration of road safety education on official schools curricula.
5. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS For the last four years (1996-1999) the total number of road accidents with fatalities or seriously injured has been decreasing, despite the increases in the numbers of vehicles (7% average per year), the number of new drivers (6.6% average per year), and fuel consumption (5% average per year). Taking into consideration these surrogate indicators of road traffic, the rate of accidents shows a significant improvement. Such a trend has been maintained into the year 2000, according to preliminary accident data for the first six months. As the reporting system is reliable and has been the same for years, we are led to accept that the downhill trend in the figures presented in this paper may be the result of the implementation of road safety strategies. However there are still areas where improvement is necessary and a long way to travel towards road safety.
Definitions Accident - occurs on a public way, involves at least one moving vehicle, at least one injured or killed person and is reported by the police. Fatality - death after a road accident and before hospitalisation; (For international comparisons with the “30 days definition” a correction factor of +14% should be applied). Seriously injured - injured in a road accident and hospitalised for at least 24 hours. Slightly injured - injured in a road accident and hospitalised for less than 24 hours.
IATSS Research Vol.24 No.2, 2000
•
101
ROAD ACCIDENTS IN PORTUGAL Maria MARGARIDA Vieira Pita de OLIM, Mba. ARMINDA da Conceição das Neves GOMES, Eng. Direcção Geral de Viação, Observatório de Segurança Rodoviária, Lisboa, Portugal (Received July 31, 2000)
1. INTRODUCTION
4,500,000
Portugal has a surface of 89,000 square km, with a population around 10 millions inhabitants. There are 12,000km of roads and 900km of motorways. The total number of vehicles is slightly above 4.4 million. Road safety measures have been enforced in order to curb the trend in accident rates that in 1996 were among the highest in Europe (13.46 accidents per 1,000 vehicles and 0.26 killed per 1,000 inhabitants). In this paper we analyse data from the last four years.
3,500,000
The road accident and injury information system is handled by Direcção Geral de Viação (Portuguese National Traffic Department) based on police reports.
500,000 1996
1997
49,265
49,417
3.92
4.20
4.91
4.48
1997
1998
1999
As expected, there is a parallel growth in both the number of vehicles and fuel consumption.
9
10,000
8
0 1997
1998
Accidents per 1,000t of fuel
2,500
2,100
1,939
1,865
0.6 1,737
0.5 0.4 0.3
1,000
0.2
500
0.1 0.0
0 1996
1997
1998
1999
Fatalities per 1,000t of fuel
Fig. 4 Fatalities
IATSS Research Vol.24 No.2, 2000
1999
Since the year 1997 the number of accidents has been decreasing (-1,287) and this trend is well expressed by the number of accidents with casualties per 1,000 tons of fuel consumption;
Fatalities
•
12
10
1,500
Fig. 1 Vehicles and fuel consumption
100
47,978
30,000 20,000
2,000
Vehicles (millions) 1996
49,319
Fig. 3 Road accidents with casualties
Fuel (millions of tones) 3.66
1999
11
Accidents
4.24
1998
Fig. 2 Number of registered drivers
3. TRENDS FOR THE PERIOD 1996 - 1999 4.59
3,847,998
1,500,000
1996
4.41
3,550,700
2,500,000
60,000 50,000 40,000
2. ACCIDENT REGISTRATION
3,179,752
3,370,444
Figure 4 shows a decrease (-363) in the number of fatalities. 12,000 10,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 0
10,842
1996
9,335
1997
8,177
7,602
1998
1999
3.0 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 0.0
Seriously injured Seriously injured per 1,000t of fuel
Fig. 5 Seriously injured
The number of seriously injured has been decreasing (-3,240) steadily since 1996.
4. ROAD SAFETY POLICY MEASURES – – – –
– – –
– –
The release of an integrated national road safety plan focused on all road users; Creation of local road safety councils; Enforcement of laws concerning speed limits, alcohol and drugs consumption; Financial support for improvement of road safety infrastructures at the municipality level, such as traffic calming solutions in urban areas, implementation of traffic lights, construction of sidewalks, black spots treatment; Improvement of medical care on the spot; Compulsory technical inspections of vehicles; Revision of the driver education system and regulations concerning driving schools, instructors, theory tests, driver training sites; Zero Tolerance to serious road traffic violations, speeding and drink-driving; and Integration of road safety education on official schools curricula.
5. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS For the last four years (1996-1999) the total number of road accidents with fatalities or seriously injured has been decreasing, despite the increases in the numbers of vehicles (7% average per year), the number of new drivers (6.6% average per year), and fuel consumption (5% average per year). Taking into consideration these surrogate indicators of road traffic, the rate of accidents shows a significant improvement. Such a trend has been maintained into the year 2000, according to preliminary accident data for the first six months. As the reporting system is reliable and has been the same for years, we are led to accept that the downhill trend in the figures presented in this paper may be the result of the implementation of road safety strategies. However there are still areas where improvement is necessary and a long way to travel towards road safety.
Definitions Accident - occurs on a public way, involves at least one moving vehicle, at least one injured or killed person and is reported by the police. Fatality - death after a road accident and before hospitalisation; (For international comparisons with the “30 days definition” a correction factor of +14% should be applied). Seriously injured - injured in a road accident and hospitalised for at least 24 hours. Slightly injured - injured in a road accident and hospitalised for less than 24 hours.
IATSS Research Vol.24 No.2, 2000
•
101