Two out of every three drivers involved in accidents with victims in 2024 had blood alcohol levels considered a crime, reveals a study by the National Road Safety Authority.
Os Portuguese (drivers) have a problem with alcohol. “In the field of alcohol, the central conclusion is unequivocal: This is a structural, persistent and particularly serious problem in Portugal”, says the National Road Safety Authority (ANSR) in the study on the “evolution of accident rates and comparative analyses”, to which Lusa had access.
The document was released this Wednesday, the day on which Pedro Clemente takes office as president of ANSR, in a ceremony presided over by the Minister of Internal Administration, Luis Neveswhich should be announced related to road safety taking into account the increase in fatalities.
According to the study, which analyzes data between 2019 and 2024, around two thirds of drunk drivers involved in accidents with victims had a Blood Alcohol (BAC) equal to or greater than 1.20 grams per literwhich is considered crimewith this proportion being 65.4% in 2024.
Between 2019 and 2024, the supervision increasedbut the most notable evolution occurred in the most serious alcohol level (≥1.20 g/l), which grew by 72.3%, indicates the ANSR, specifying that 58.1% of offenders detected in inspection in the year 2024 “were already in the crime category, which means that the most severe component of the phenomenon became the majority”.
The study shows that it is mainly the men who drive under the influence of alcohol and the intervening vehicles are essentially lightalthough it also happens with motorcycles/mopeds and bicycles, highlighting that “the opening hours dawn and nightand present increased operational risk, both due to the percentage of offenders/tests and the weight of criminal cases”.
“The data by age group shows a significant presence in various ages adults, not limited to a single generational segment. This advises caution in the face of overly simplistic readings: the problem is not exclusive to younger drivers, but is rather distributed across different age groups with relevant statistical weight”, says the ANSR, noting that the results of the autopsies carried out in 2024 are also “particularly expressive”.
According to the study, one in three drivers killed in road accidents and autopsies showed a higher blood alcohol level to the legally permitted limit (0.5 g/l), and 72% of these victims exceeded the rate considered crime (≥1,20 g/l).
“This information is decisive because it shifts the analysis from the police detection plan to the damage actually verified. If the inspection already showed an increase in the criminal component, the evidence [prova] toxicology confirms that the Alcohol continues to play a significant role in the most serious and lethal situations”, highlights the document.
The report also concluded that “Portugal is notjust like Spain and the European Union itself, in ttrajectory necessary to meet the goal of reducing by 50% the number of dead and seriously injured by 2030 compared to 2019”.
In the Portuguese case, “the deviation is particularly worryingboth due to the unfavorable relative position vis-à-vis European partners and due to the magnitude of the annual reduction effort that would now be necessary to recover the trajectory”.
Provisional data from ANSR indicates that this year there were 43,635 accidents that caused 145 deaths, 633 serious injuries and 10,753 minor injuries. Compared to the same period in 2025, this year there was 5,000 more accidents, 42 more deaths, eight more serious injuries and 421 fewer minor injuries.
