Lisbon, Dec. 31, 2025 (Lusa) - Nine people died on Portuguese roads and 215 were arrested for drink driving in the first four days of the operation carried out by the police authorities during the New Year period.
In statements released on Wednesday, the two police forces recorded 1,259 road accidents between Saturday and Tuesday, resulting in nine deaths, 27 serious injuries and 356 minor injuries in the operation, which continues until Sunday 4 January.
In the case of the Public Security Police, the fatalities resulted from accidents that occurred in Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto, and Benfica, in the Lisbon area.
The fatal accidents recorded by the country's National Guard occurred on Motorway 1 in Alcanena (Santarém), on National Road (EN) 9 in Torres Vedras (Lisbon), EN 15 in Lixa (Porto), on EN 111 in Montemor-o-Velho (Coimbra), on EN 230 in Águeda (Aveiro), on EN 255-1 in Sobral da Adiça (Beja) and in Praça da Independência, in Castelo de Paiva (Aveiro).
The National Republican Guard reports that between Saturday and Tuesday, 34,063 drivers were pulled over and checked, of whom 205 were driving under the influence of alcohol. Of these, 134 were arrested for driving with a blood alcohol level of 1.2 g/l or higher, and 67 people were also arrested for driving without a licence.
The National Republican Guard also reports that it recorded 5,558 traffic offences, 994 of which were for speeding, 143 for failure to use or incorrect use of seat belts, 138 for using a mobile phone while driving, 732 for failure to undergo a mandatory periodic vehicle safety inspection and 225 for failure to have mandatory civil liability insurance.
In turn, the Public Security Police (PSP) made 258 arrests in four days, 144 of which were for traffic offences, namely 81 for drink driving and 52 for not having a valid driving licence.
The PSP also arrested 15 people for theft and robbery and 28 suspects for drug trafficking and seized five firearms, 14 dangerous weapons, 22 rounds of ammunition and 12,326 pyrotechnic items.
On the roads, the police pulled over and checked 5,362 drivers and 23,887 vehicles using radar, detecting 1,763 offences, 253 of which were for speeding and 166 for failure to undergo mandatory periodic vehicle safety inspections.
The two police forces have been conducting road safety operations focused on the Christmas and New Year periods since 18 December and will terminate on 4 January.
CMP/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
