THE NUMBER of road traffic accidents registered on the Lisbon to Porto IC2 motorway has increased this year.
Since the beginning of the year until the end of August there were 55 accidents registered on the Itinerário Complementar 2 (M2) between Lisbon and Porto in which there were 24 deaths and 52 serious injuries.
During the same period last year there were 41 deaths and 36 serious injuries on the motorway with the majority of accidents occurring on the stretch of the road between Leiria and Aveiro (36 collisions).
The main factors involved in the accidents were that they often occurred on stretches of straight road away from built up areas, were as a result of overtaking, and often involved goods lorries and vans.
“This is a very busy and fast motorway and drivers sometimes carry out extremely foolish and risky manoeuvres,” says Captain Carlos Costa of the Portuguese Road Traffic Police, GNR- Brigada de Trânsito.
The number of serious road traffic accidents around Aveiro has already motivated PS parliamentary deputy, Helena Terra, to demand both the police and road authorities to step up vigilance and road safety measures on a stretch of motorway between Oliveira de Azeméis and São João de Madeira ,where road improvement works have been going on for several months.
The PS deputy has already complained about a lack of speed limit signs on lanes in both directions, and has asked for a central barrier to be installed between both lanes to avoid head-on collisions.
The Portuguese road authority Estradas de Portugal has laid the blame for the accidents squarely at the door of motorists, but has promised to place fluorescent traffic cones along the stretch in question as well as ‘warning – works in progress’ signs.
Do you have a view on this story? Email: editor@portugalresident.com
