The National Road Safety Authority (ANSR), the GNR and the PSP today launch the Road Safety campaign “At the wheel, your cell phone can wait”, which “aims to alert drivers to the negative and even fatal consequences of improper use of a cell phone while driving.”
The campaign that will run until Monday, May 13th, includes awareness raising actions by ANSR and inspection operations by GNR and PSP.
The authorities emphasize, in a joint statement, that “using a cell phone while driving increases the likelihood of having an accident by four times, causing an increase in reaction time to unforeseen situations” and recall that at “50 kilometers per hour (km /h), looking at your cell phone for three seconds is the same as driving a distance of 42 meters blindfolded, the equivalent of a queue of 10 cars.”
During the campaign, included in the 2024 National Inspection Plan, awareness raising actions take place in conjunction with inspection operations and are scheduled for the following locations:
– IC2, km 33, in Lisbon
– Portimo, on Rua Coronel Armando da Silva Maanita
– Almodvar Service Area, North/South direction
– vora, on Avenida Lino de Carvalho
– National Road 118, in Portalegre, km 171
ANSR, GNR and PSP recall that “drivers who use their cell phones while driving are slower to recognize and react to dangers”, that distraction “causes lapses in attention and errors in assessment” and that the use of electronic devices while driving “cause difficulty in interpreting signage and disrespect for the rules on giving way, particularly in relation to pedestrians”.
