In an administrative, political and hugely embarrassing foul-up, only 3% of drivers fined for offences have had points deducted on their license.
Over 400,000 drivers in Portugal have been fined in the year to June 2017 but only 14,000 have had points deducted due to ‘system failures,’ according to a damning analysis by Portugal’s Road Safety organisation.
The new law which provided for the loss of pre-loaded points on drivers’ licences came into force in June 2016 but of the 407,000 drivers who have committed serious, very serious or criminal driving offences in the past year, and were punished, only 14,000 ended up losing points on their driving license - just 3.4%.
In the new points system, the driver initially is awarded 12 points on his or her licence. When offences are committed, points are deducted which, after three years of trouble-free motoring, can be added back on.
For cases of serious misconduct, drivers lose two points and, in very serious cases, four, while criminal driving infractions attract a six point deduction.
The president of the road safety organisation, José Miguel Trigoso, said the new points system “is not working" with only those who end up in court to answer charges, having points deducted.
This system failure means the new law does not have the intended deterrent effect. Trigoso said that people are realising that they can get away with poor and illegal driving with impunity.
