Road accidents fall by more than 70% in the first 30 days of the state of emergency, with 7,719 fewer accidents, a trend that was repeated in the number of injured and fatalities on Portuguese roads.
In a statement, the Ministry of Internal Administration (MAI) highlights the sharp drop in the number of road accidents between March 19 and April 17, compared with the same periods in the last four years, from 10,918 to 3,199 registered accidents .
This trend is also confirmed in the data on fatalities, serious injuries and minor injuries (24 hours).
According to MAI, in the first case, the nine deaths recorded in the period under analysis represent a decrease of 72% compared to the same period in 2019, in which 32 fatalities had been recorded.
With regard to the seriously injured, the 51 recorded in the first 30 days of the state of emergency decreed in relation to the covid-19 represent a drop of 62% compared to the same period in 2019 (134).
The 799 minor injuries recorded between March 19 and April 17 of this year, mean a 76% decrease compared to the same period in 2019, in which 3,362 had been recorded.
The downward trend is also reflected in the comparative data between this year’s extended Easter weekend (April 9th to 13th) and the same 2019 weekend (April 18th to 22nd), with a decrease in all indicators.
The authorities recorded 1,107 fewer accidents this year (-73%), resulting in seven fewer deaths (-78%), 32 serious injuries (-86%) and 408 minor injuries (-81%).
Although these numbers are associated with the state of emergency and the considerable decrease in the flow of road traffic resulting from this reality, the MAI underlines that the data reflect “in an exemplary way” how the Portuguese have contributed to contain the covid-19 outbreak in Portugal.
The country is in a state of emergency until May 2 because of the covid-19 pandemic, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
The latest official data indicate that Portugal registers 785 deaths associated with covid-19 and 21,982 cases of infection.