Only one in 37 offenders has lost points from his or her driving licence, since the new points-based system started.
The primary reason is that the legal system takes an average of three years to sort out each appeal and reach a final judgement.
The police have handed out 670,149 fines for serious and very serious infractions in the 18-months since June 1, 2016, but points have been deducted from licences held by just 17,925 motorists of those caught and fined, one in every 37 offenders.
The reason is that the normal period to process a driving offence averages three years between an appeal and a final judicial decision.
This appeal system means many dangerous and incompetent drivers can continue to use their vehicle for years, quite legally. Since the points system started, only 24 drivers have been banned after reaching the 12-point limit on their licences, making a mockery of police efforts to rid the road of drunks and other dangerous drivers.
"The withdrawal of points only happens after appeals are exhausted, when decisions are final and when there is a final sentence," said Pedro Silva, from the traffic safety association, who added that, “a driver can be caught by the police in two different areas: one day for speeding and the next day for drunk driving. If he appeals the fines he will lose points only when there is a final decision in each process - which could come from two different district courts,” and take an average of three years.
The Home Office minister, Eduardo Cabrita, stated last year that the Government is to see what action is necessary to reduce the number of redestrians that are knocked down each year, the number drunk-drivers, and accidents involving motorbikes.
Cabrita said the Government wants to “launch a new and more ambitious way of implementing the national road safety plan.” Whether this includes legal changes to the appeals system, remains to be seen.
Comments
Until a few years ago the US State Department was openly cautioning US businesses from doing business in Portugal specifically due to the extremely long time taken to reach very uncertain judicial decisions. If at all.