The PSP is carrying out this week a road inspection action aimed at drivers of bicycles and similar vehicles (scooters) who do not respect the rules of circulation on public roads in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area.
In a statement released this Tuesday, the Lisbon Metropolitan Command (Cometlis) of the PSP reported that, following a policy of “effective and preventive” road safety whose objective is to “reduce infractions and, consequently, the reduction in the number of traffic accidents“, an inspection action began on Monday that will be carried out until Sunday.
According to the police, the movement of this type of vehicle “is equivalent to the others on public roads”, but the security authority advises that, whenever there are special lanes reserved for the movement of soft mobility means, they should be used, since they “provide greater security for their users.”
It should be noted that this inspection incident only implies special attention to the circulation of this type of vehicle, however, this police will not stop proceeding in accordance with any other detected infraction ”, reads the note.
According to a response sent to Lusa, the PSP stopped, during 2022, in the city of Lisbon, Six citizens for driving scooters while intoxicated.
As for accidents, a Cometlis source says “there has been an increase in accidents and resulting injuries” since 2018, however 2020 is not demonstrative, considering the mandatory lockdowns that occurred during the pandemic.
Thus, in 2022 there were 96 accidents, which resulted in 90 minor injuries, double the number registered in 2021 (48), which resulted in 44 minor injuries.
In 2018, Cometlis has a record of five accidents in the city of Lisbonwith five minor injuries, rising to 43 in 2019 (36 minor injuries) and only 12 accidents in 2020, with nine minor injuries.
On January 17, the president of the INEM realized that the number of injured in accidents involving scooters, bicycles, and skateboards transported by that institute had almost tripled in four years, reaching 6,280, and warned of the injuries, which could be “very serious or very serious”. fatal even.”
Accidents involving bicycles, scooters and skateboards have been increasing, especially in large urban centers”, highlighted Luís Meira.
Noticing that there is difficulty in obtaining reliable data on the accident rate of the so-called soft mobility, Luís Meira specified that one in three injured is serious.
Regarding scooter users, accidents at the national level increased by 78% last year compared to 2021, when 946 were registered, falling again in 2020 (367), while in 2019 the INEM registered 577 injuries.
Source: Observadora
