The Portuguese government has approved a new Visão Zero 2030 (Vision Zero) strategy. Its goal is to halve the number of road deaths and serious injuries by 2030, compared with 2019 levels (626 fatalities and 2,089 serious injuries), and bring the numbers down to zero by 2050.
Portugal’s roads remain more dangerous than those in most EU countries. In 2023, the country’s road death rate was a third higher than the EU average.
The strategy identifies speeding, drink- and drug-driving, mobile phone use behind the wheel and driver fatigue as the main causes of road accidents. The government also wants more people to wear seatbelts in the back seats and helmets, while making pedestrian crossings, high-risk stretches of road and rural roads safer.
No new rules or fines have been announced yet. For now, the strategy sets out the targets. The specific measures, budgets and timelines will be detailed in two action plans covering 2027–2028 and 2029–2030. The first progress review is scheduled for 2027.