Portugal Safety and Security Report Wednesday 17th April 2024
Good morning. With the hot weather at present many people have headed to the beaches and unfortunately there have been a significant number of accidents in the sea. More precisely last weekend, from April 12th to 14th, the National Maritime Authority (AMN), recorded, over these three days, 249 rescues on beaches under AMN jurisdiction. In the first fortnight of April, FEPONS (Association of Life guards) has already recorded 17 deaths in the aquatic environment, which included deaths in rivers and reservoirs and inland rivers.
These are terrible statistics, at a time when very few beaches have lifeguards. There have been many warnings including through our Facebook, newsletter and our radio feature on KissFm as well by the authorities, yet people still ignore these and as a result tragic occur.
The bathing season each year is defined in an ordinance, published in the Diário da República, which identifies the bathing waters and the definition of the respective season, considering that, at national level, it runs from May 1st to October 30th. Between these dates, municipal councils determine when it starts and ends in their territory, some starting earlier and ending later however on four are currently doing so! With increasingly high temperatures well outside of these dates means that many people flock to beaches when there are no lifeguards.
The President of FEPONS stated that the first measure that must be taken is that the bathing season cannot be restricted to just the summer, it has to be much more dynamic, just like the fire season. It has to be all year round because we use the beaches all year round”. He added “We spent many thousands of euros on body search operations. In other words, in a reactive measure, when this money could obviously be spent on prevention and would be enough to monitor these spaces. Therefore, there needs to be more emphasis on water safety”. He also highlighted the importance of increasing “water safety education in Portuguese schools”.
These words make abundance common sense. With increasing air temperatures each year outside of the bathing season, there are more people visiting beaches, and there should be adequate safety measures in place whatever time of the year it is.
In the last 5 years there have been almost 40 drownings at swimming pools. A reminder therefore to never lose sight of the children who should always wear a lifejacket or armbands; to always be aware of all the children’s movements, whether in the water or “just” by the pool; never leave a child alone in the water; never leave toys in the pool, as this is a situation that catches the children’s attention and can prove to be a fatal distraction and if you have a pool at home, when the pool is not in use, cover it with a protective cover or protect it with another safety measure.
A reminder that the deadline for land cleaning for those living in rural areas is 30th April 2024. Following that enforcement action through fines may be taken. Although the main focus by the authorities is those living in rural areas, this applies to all rural areas. If you have neighbours within 50 metres of your property (the house) and their land is overgrown, they have a responsibility to clean their land so in a fire, it poses no threat to your property. If they are absent or they refuse then the GNR should be informed as soon as possible as all complaints are acted upon. All information regarding land cleaning (fuel management) can be found here: https://www.safecommunitiesportugal.com/find-information/fire-prevention-and-protection/land-cleaning-protection/
With the weather becoming warmer and the fire risk increasing we suggest that if you are intending to burn cut and piled waste to do so sooner rather than later to avoid a situation where you run out of time and risk prohibits such burns. When undertaking burns please ensure to register or obtain authorisation and follow the safety measures.
Our team wishes you a safe week ahead
News
Road Accidents decrease, but serious injuries and pedestrian casualties increase in March
Lisbon, April 16, 2024 (Lusa) – The PSP detected an average of 510 road traffic violations per day in March, a month in which the number of accidents and minor injuries decreased, but serious injuries and pedestrian casualties increased compared to March 2023.
The accident rate data is included in a PSP report, released today in a statement, which points to “a significant decrease in the number of accidents and minor injuries”.
According to the data, 4,568 accidents were recorded during this period, 88 fewer than in March last year, resulting in seven deaths (one less), 54 serious injuries (4 more) and 1,224 minor injuries (137 fewer).
Regarding the fatalities recorded, the PSP states that five resulted from being run over (two more than in March 2023), one from a collision accident, as in the same period last year, and one from a crash accident, three less.
During the month of March, the PSP carried out 2,266 road inspection actions across the country, inspecting 59,638 drivers and controlling 213,827 vehicles using radar.
In total, 15,811 administrative offenses were recorded, which is equivalent to an average of 510 infractions daily.
Of the registered infractions, the Public Security Police highlights 2,429 for speeding, which corresponds to 15.4% of the total registered infractions.
According to the data, 18,743 alcohol tests were carried out, resulting in 241 administrative offenses for driving under the influence of alcohol.
Of these infractions, 48 concern drivers to whom the reduced alcohol rate applies (drivers with a driving license for less than three years or professional drivers), which corresponds to around 20% of the infractions recorded for driving under the influence of the alcohol.
1,615 infractions were also detected for lack of mandatory periodic inspection, 519 for lack of civil liability insurance, 424 for using a cell phone while driving, 178 for not using a seat belt and 41 for not using restraint systems ( car seats).
In the same period, 673 arrests were made for road crimes, namely 367 for driving under the influence of alcohol and 306 for driving without a legal license.
The PSP highlights that, “currently, the human factor of behaviour is recognized as the most relevant condition for the occurrence of the majority of road accidents, whether due to infraction and/or disregard for traffic rules and signs, or in the face of an unexpected event” .
“As urban scenarios are highly dynamic, with multiple road users in constant movement, driver behaviour is a fundamental factor in continuing this trend of reducing road accidents”, he maintains.
As such, the PSP states that “it has been especially concerned with road traffic violations and behaviours that cause distraction among drivers, as these factors increase accident rates with a direct impact on the feeling of (in) safety of drivers and other users of the main road axes”.
The PSP calls on drivers to drive safely, adapting their driving to weather conditions and the condition of the road, and not to drive at excessive speed or under the influence of alcohol, psychotropic substances, and not to use a cell phone.
Apple Is Working on a New Feature for Apple Watch That Will Send Alerts if the User Is Drowning
Apple has filed a patent application for an Apple Watch feature that sends drowning alerts to nearby users.
Apple Watch in future could be equipped with capabilities to alert nearby users if a person wearing the device begins to drown in a water body. According to a new patent application, the Cupertino-based tech giant is working on a feature that will be able to sense when a user is showing “irregular behaviour” while swimming and is in distress underwater by using the sensors present on the smartwatch. Notably, a recent report has claimed that the Apple Watch Series 10 could feature an upgraded display that offers better battery life.
In a patent application filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Apple shared details on how this feature would work and highlighted the need for such a feature. The tech giant said in its application that every year, 3,500 people drown and lose their lives just in the US. Calling it the “fifth most common cause of accidental deaths in the country”, Apple said there is a need for drowning prevention systems.
The company’s proposed feature does not introduce any new sensors to detect when a user is drowning, however. Instead, it relies on the existing sensors on the Apple Watch to interpret data whenever the user might be in distress underwater. As per the patent application, the primary trigger for this will be its inertial sensor which will determine if the head, arms, and torso of the swimmer is positioned in a way that suggests irregular behaviour.
This data will then be corroborated with the Apple Watch’s heart rate sensor or the blood oxygen sensor that will determine if the user’s heart rate has suddenly elevated or the VO2 max levels have suddenly dropped, which could indicate that the user is about to drown. The data from the sensors will be run through a special machine learning algorithm to then predict if the user is really drowning.
in case a user is found to be at risk of drowning, the Apple Watch could send an alert to emergency service providers as well as nearby users and lifeguards. The company also highlighted that the system could also share similar alerts in case a child is swimming in a pool and accidentally goes to the deeper end. It is noted that the feature currently exists as a patent application. It is not certain whether Apple will get the patent for this technology, and when Apple Watch devices may carry the drowning alert feature.