The Government is considering using Civil Protection helicopters and drones clock speeding drivers, installing more radars and blocking mobile phone signals for those driving.
The Secretary of State for Civil Protection, Jose Artur Neves, spoke to journalists after a presentation on a study on drivers at the Automobile Club of Portugal and outlined new measures to counteract the "worrying" increase in the number of road deaths last year.
"It is one of the solutions used in Spain and France and there also is a possibility of us using this model," said Neves, stating that systems are "very evolved" and relatively simple technologies can be used to equip National Civil Protection Authority helicopters to be used for speed enforcement.
The Government is treating this as sound solution in tackling the problem of speeding drivers and also is looking at "applications with phone operators to reduce mobile phone use," including blocking phone signals and adding an automatic responses to callers that state that the driver is behind the wheel and is unable to answer their call."
"Hands-free phone systems “do not solve the problem of driver distraction," added Neves.
"The expansion of the radar network, reducing the speed limit to 30 kilometres per hour in some places and the geo-referencing of recurrent accident sites" are other measures being looked at as part of the National Road Safety Plan.
According to provisional figures from the National Road Safety Authority, in 2017, some 509 people died on Portuguese roads, 64 more than in 2016, with serious injuries increasing from 2,102 to 2,181.
Comments
Like other dangerous habits, it has to be tackled; but not by signal blocking.
How many afternoon drivers didn't have wine or beer with their lunch...?