Lisbon, Oct. 23, 2025 (Lusa) - Offences for using a mobile phone while driving in Portugal doubled in the first quarter compared to the same period in 2024, with the police fining an average of 84 drivers per day, totalling 7,587, according to the road safety authority.
The report by the National Road Safety Authority (ANSR), referring to the first quarter of 2025 but only now released, highlights a 114.2% increase in offences for using a mobile phone while driving compared to the same period last year.
In its report on road accidents, enforcement and offences, the ANSR reports that between January and March, the police checked 75.7 million vehicles, either in person or through automatic speed control enforcement, an increase of 31.2% compared to 2024.
This increase in enforcement was reflected in the number of offences, which rose to more than 327,000, representing an increase of 15.6% compared to the same period last year.
In addition to the use of mobile phones while driving, the road safety authority reports that in the first quarter of the year there was a general increase in all offences, namely lack of insurance (85.6%), lack of mandatory periodic vehicle safety inspection (79.7%) and lack of child restraint systems (54.0%) and alcohol (32%).
Regarding the main type of offence, speeding, the document notes increases of 53.3% handled by the Public Security Police (PSP) and 8.5% by the National Guard (GNR), while fines recorded in the radar system under the responsibility of the ANSR, called the National Speed Control System (Sincro), and by the Lisbon Municipal Police decreased by 2.6% and 7% respectively.
The report also states that road crime, measured in terms of the number of arrests, increased by 95.2% between January and March 2025, compared to 2024, totalling 10,800 drivers arrested, 4,805 of whom for driving under the influence of alcohol and 2,985 for driving while banned.
The ANSR also reports that between January and March, there were 8,270 accidents with victims in the country, resulting in 90 deaths, 531 serious injuries and 9,641 minor injuries.
Compared to the same period in 2019 (the reference year for monitoring the targets set by the European Commission and Portugal for reducing the number of deaths and serious injuries by 2030), there were 151 fewer accidents (-1.8%), 30 fewer fatalities (-25.0%), two fewer serious injuries (-0.4%) and 420 fewer minor injuries (-4.2%).
Compared to 2024, in the first three months of 2025 there were 16 fewer accidents (-0.2%), 15 fewer fatalities (-14.3%), 25 fewer serious injuries (-4.5%) and 23 fewer minor injuries (-0.2%).
The road safety authority also highlights the 21% increase in accidents involving bicycles and scooters compared to the same period last year and around 60% compared to 2019.
Between January and February, there were 793 accidents involving bicycles, resulting in eight deaths (100% more than in 2024), 38 serious injuries (5.6% more) and 738 minor injuries (23% more).
Although accidents involving motorcycles decreased in the first quarter, the number of fatalities increased by 23%, totalling 26.
The data refers to fatalities whose death was declared at the scene of the accident or on the way to hospital.
CMP/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
