Lisbon, Dec. 26, 2025 (Lusa) - Twelve people have died and 453 have been arrested for driving with blood alcohol levels considered criminal in the first eight days of the Christmas and New Year road safety operations, the police forces announced on Friday.
In a statement, the Public Security Police (PSP) said officers had arrested 258 people for traffic offences, including 174 for drink-driving and 84 for driving without a licence. Thirty-five people were arrested for property crimes (theft and robbery) and 36 suspects for drug trafficking, with 45,413 individual doses seized.
In its area of responsibility, the PSP recorded 1,329 accidents, resulting in three deaths and 408 injuries (20 serious and 388 minor).
Between 18 and 25 December, in the "Safe Holidays 2025-2026 operation - Christmas Phase", the PSP pulled over and checked 10,087 drivers and 35,387 vehicles on the roads using radar, detecting 2,808 traffic offences, 367 of which were for speeding.
The PSP also detected 270 offences for failure to undergo mandatory vehicle periodic safety inspections, 127 for lack of mandatory civil liability insurance, 73 for driving under the influence of alcohol, 45 for improper use of a mobile phone while driving, and 26 for failure to use or incorrect use of seat belts and/or child seats.
The PSP also says that during this period it seized 19 firearms, 55 dangerous weapons, 435 rounds of ammunition and 37 other weapons, either as a precautionary measure or following the eight arrests made for possession of prohibited weapons. A further 6,676 pyrotechnic articles were also seized.
Since the beginning of the operation, as part of airport border control inspections, the PSP has arrested 15 people for illegal situations in the country, checked 309,698 foreign citizens and issued 17 referrals and 21 reports for fineable offences under the law on foreigners.
The PSP also intercepted 522 people, refusing entry into Portugal to 16 and notifying three to leave voluntarily.
The country's national guard (the GNR), in the first eight days of the 2025/2026 Christmas and New Year operation, recorded 1,844 accidents, resulting in nine fatalities, 41 serious injuries and 455 minor injuries.
According to data released today, between 18 and day 25 December, the GNR pulled over and checked 60,846 drivers, of whom 485 were driving under the influence of alcohol.
Of these, 279 were arrested for driving with a blood alcohol level of 1.2 g/l or higher (considered a crime). A further 89 people were arrested for driving without a licence.
Of the 9,220 traffic offences detected, the GNR highlights 1,397 for speeding, 206 for drink-driving, 214 for failure to use or incorrect use of seat belts and/or child seats, 249 for improper use of mobile phones while driving, 1,186 for failure to undergo mandatory periodic vehicle safety inspections and 365 for failure to have mandatory civil liability insurance.
SO/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
