Montijo, Portugal, March 24, 2026 (Lusa) - The Secretary of State for Civil Protection announced on Tuesday that the government intends to install 12 additional average speed cameras by the end of the year, increasing the usage of artificial intelligence in traffic management and accident prevention.
"We are currently conducting an evaluation by the ANSR (National Road Safety Authority) to ensure that these 12 new average speed control points are viewed as preventive measures, ensuring road users comply with established regulations", said Rui Rocha at the signing ceremony for a protocol to reduce accident rates, which took place at the headquarters of Lusoponte, the company that operates the Tagus crossings at the 25 de Abril Bridge and the Vasco da Gama Bridge in Montijo. He said that "our goal is a reduction in the accident rate", recalling that last December, the ANSR Observatory published a study identifying a series of "accident blackspots on Portuguese roads”.
The Secretary of State addressed journalists following the signing of the "Vision Zero – More Citizenship for Portugal’s Roads" protocol between ANSR and Lusoponte, which aims to achieve zero fatalities and zero serious injuries in road accidents by 2050.
The protocol also outlines a target to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries by at least 50% by 2030, using 2019 data as a baseline, meaning reducing the number of fatalities to a maximum of 313 people in 2030.
Rui Rocha told reporters that the expansion of speed cameras aims to replicate the results achieved by Lusoponte, which recorded zero fatalities in 2025. However, he acknowledged that the location of the new equipment was still being studied by the ANSR as part of the identification of critical points across the road network.
He further highlighted the potential of artificial intelligence to improve traffic control and accident prevention, noting that discussions are ongoing with the government’s digitalisation department to integrate technological innovation into these systems.
He acknowledged, however, that driver behaviour remains more significant than artificial intelligence preventive measures, reminding the public that one-third of road deaths are linked to speeding.
Rui Rocha also pointed out that one in four fatalities involved drivers over the legal blood-alcohol limit and that using a mobile phone while driving "quadruples the likelihood of an accident occurring”.
GR/MYAL // ADB.
Lusa
