Opinion (Rogério COPETO / Official GNR): "THINK 2020" and "DO 2020".
The subject of road accidents is, these days of beginning of year, unavoidable, so the first article 2017, It will be similar to last year, about this subject.
Rogério COPETO
Lieutenant Colonel of the GNR
Master in Law and Security and Homeland Security Auditor
Head of the Education Division / Command Doctrine and Training
Already all know that the year 2016 It passed without a national road safety strategy, expected however that 2016 sign fewer fatalities, compared with the year 2015, even after accounting for the dead 30 days. We also know that "National Road Safety Strategic Plan – THOUGHT 2020"It is in public consultation until 8 January and aims to achieve in 2020, the 41 killed per million inhabitants, representing a reduction of fatalities by more than half, compared with the dead registered in 2010.
And as usual by this time we present the results of "Operation Christmas Tranquilo", which took place between 23 and 26 December and ended with "More accidents but fewer road deaths during Christmas", as the news of Public 26 of December, having this time been registered a single fatal victim and "Operation New Year", which took place between 30 December and 2 January has resulted in seven fatalities, as regards the TSF in the play "Seven killed during Operation New Year GNR".
Added to these eight deaths have accounted for eight other deaths on the road, that occurred in the time interval the two operations, especially on days 27 and 28 of December, where there were eight other deaths, three being the result of a screening of a light in the day Grndola 27, according to TVI24 realized in the play "Rises to three the number of dead in the accident in Grândola", further on 27 They were recorded other two fatalities, the first as a result of a collision of a motorcycle, Terrugem in the locality and the second a screening of a producer of light in Rio Maior locality, the remaining three victims occurred on 28 December as a result of another screening of a motorcycle in Silves and died its driver and Nisa, a screening of a slight resulted in the death of its two occupants, according to the news DN "Two killed in car screening near Nisa".
On the subject of road accidents, Remember that Portugal from 1975 Europe has been at the tail, fact that in recent years has been thwarted, with a decrease in the number of road accidents and the consequent reduction in fatalities, the explanation may be in the best estradal network, the better and newer car fleet circulating on our roads, the amendments to the Highway Code, What made it more appropriate to reality, the greater efficiency of the security forces in their supervision and in the road safety campaigns.
A “National Road Safety Strategy – ENSR 2008-2015 ", which ended its term at the end of 2015, It aimed to achieve levels claims of Austria and Luxembourg, because these countries 1975 They shared with us and Slovenia, the same number of fatalities, surpassing 300 killed per million inhabitants and today are below the European average, advocating the strategy to achieve the 62 dead, per million inhabitants at the end of 2015, placing Portugal among the 10 European Union countries (I), with the lowest road fatalities, as dead 30 days, per million inhabitants.
But before disclosing it to ENSR 2008-2015 He succeeded in reaching the goal it has set itself, important to realize that even 2010 were counted as deaths only those who died at the scene, and for statistical purposes, by EU obligation, added a percentage 14%, as an estimate of that would die in 30 days following, since no deaths accounted authorities as those that passed away in hospital, It is counted as serious injuries, verifying after 2010, when they began to keep a record the dead 30 days, this percentage was higher, It is in 2010 of 26,5% and achieved in 2014 the 32%.
After the year 2015 and the term of "ENSR 2008-2015" it appears that its purpose was fulfilled, due to that there have been 593 fatalities, a 30 days, managing to achieve so 59 mortal victims, per million inhabitants and Portugal thus enters the ranking of countries to have lower road accidents, though I have not been able to, as recommended be one of the first 10 countries to achieve this objective, for the year 2011, It was achieved by 11 countries, and one even reached 60 killed per million inhabitants, that Portugal only succeeded in 2015.
But this result was only possible to achieve, because in 13 January 2015, Executive proceeded to the publication of "Mid-Term review 2013 – 2015 the National Road Safety Strategy", where reclassified and adjustment of strategic objectives and operational goals, arranging them in 7 strategic objectives and 13 operational objectives, porque be presumed not to initiate 2015 not being able to achieve the goal of "ENSR 2008-2015", is at 25 August was published Council of Ministers Resolution No. 62/2015, determining the development of the "Strategic Plan for Road Safety – Penser 2016-2020 "which turned out to not be prepared, having the year 2016 finished without a road safety strategy, as already mentioned, because the "Think 2016-2020" never saw sunlight, now calling "THINK 2020", which will begin its term after the day 8 January this year.
According to the "2020 THINK" from 2010 mortal victims 30 days has been declining, and in that 2010 were 937, in 2011, 891, in 2012, 718, in 2013, 637 is at 2014, 638, having grown this year for the first time since 2010, the year 2015 ended up with 593 fatalities, verifying a substantial reduction, having so managing to reach less than 62 the fatalities 30 days, per million inhabitants.
But the "THINK 2020" has already received some criticism, as we see in the Public Article, of 26 December and called, "road safety plans barely got off the ground", where a working group of experts which is to analyze the "2020 THINK" states that "Portugal started the fight systematized to road accidents since the end of the decade 90, but most of the plans drawn up over nearly two decades barely left the drawing board ".
So we wish for the year 2017 et seq, that the 102 measures advocated in the "THINK 2020" are all performed, because only then it is possible to achieve in 2020, as 42 fatalities, a 30 days, per million inhabitants and has only four years away, knowing yet, the year 2016 end about 450 deaths, adding the victims 30 days, in a percentage between 20% and 30%.
