Lisbon, Aug. 25, 2026 (Lusa) - Ten people died on the roads in Portugal and more than 1,000 were injured – 60 of them seriously – between 18–24 August, authorities reported on Tuesday in a joint report on the «Zero Alcohol at the Wheel» campaign.
In a statement, the PSP police, national guard (GNR) and the National Road Safety Authority (ANSR) revealed that between 18 and 24 August, 2,876 accidents were recorded across the country, resulting in 10 fatalities, 60 seriously injured and 948 with minor injuries.
Of this total, 2,693 accidents (94%) occurred on the mainland, resulting in 10 fatalities, 58 seriously injured and 905 slightly injured, whilst in the Azores and Madeira there were 183 accidents, two seriously injured and 43 slightly injured.
Compared with the same period in 2025, there were 115 more accidents, four fewer fatalities, 20 more seriously injured people and 42 more people with minor injuries.
In a review of the eighth campaign under the 2026 National Enforcement Plan, known as "Zero Alcohol at the Wheel", which focused on drink-driving, the authorities revealed that 507,355 vehicles and drivers were checked, both in person and by speed camera, with 37,196 breathalyser tests carried out.
Of these, 788 tested positive, corresponding to an offence rate of 2.1%.
The main offences included drink-driving, the absence or incorrect use of safety equipment, offences relating to vehicle documentation and technical condition, speeding, and the improper use of mobile phones whilst driving.
By 2025, around 2.1 million breathalyser tests had been carried out, of which 1.6% were positive.
Offences for drink-driving account for around 2.4% of all road traffic offences recorded in the country.
«These figures confirm the significance of drink-driving as a risk factor for road accidents,» the authorities warn, emphasising that «in this context, the ‘Zero Alcohol at the Wheel' campaign takes on particular importance, seeking to reduce this risk factor through awareness-raising and enforcement.» This was the eighth of the 11 campaigns planned under the National Enforcement Plan 2026, including five in-person awareness-raising initiatives organised by the ANSR, carried out in conjunction with enforcement operations by the PSP and the GNR in the regions of Beja, Bragança and Leiria.
PFT/AYLS // AYLS
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