Road accident rate: number of accidents increased in 2023

The Annual Accident Report from the National Road Safety Authority (ANSR) revealed that in 2023, there were approximately 35,000 road accidents in Portugal, resulting in 468 deaths, 2,437 serious injuries, and 41,058 minor injuries.

According to the ANSR, last year saw an increase in all indicators compared to 2022. “Compared to 2022, there were increases in all indicators on the mainland, except for the severity index. There were 2,186 more accidents (+6.7%), five more fatalities (+1.1%), 194 more serious injuries (+8.6%), and 2,602 more minor injuries (+6.8%),” states the ANSR report, highlighting the increase in road traffic, which corresponds to an increase in the risk of accidents.

Furthermore, compared to 2019, the reference year for monitoring the targets set by the European Commission and Portugal to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries by 2030, there was a decrease in accidents, fatalities, and minor injuries, with 730 fewer accidents (-2.0%), seven fewer fatalities (-1.5%), and 2,144 fewer minor injuries (-5.0%), but, on the other hand, there were 136 more serious injuries (+5.9%).

The ANSR also emphasizes that compared to the average of the last decade (2010-2019), there has been a growing trend in serious injuries (+9.1%), accidents (+6.8%), and minor injuries (+3.2%). However, the report notes a decrease in fatalities (-13.7%) and the severity index (-19.4%).

According to the document, collisions represented the most frequent type of accident in 2023, accounting for 52.7% of disasters, 40.9% of fatalities, and 45.9% of serious injuries, while run-offs, which accounted for 33.9% of total accidents, were responsible for the highest proportion of deaths, 47.3%. Last year, the number of fatalities outside urban areas (244) was slightly higher than those inside urban areas (223), but compared to 2022, it was inside urban areas where the number of deaths increased (+3.2%). Regarding the type of road, ANSR reports that almost 63% of accidents occurred on streets, representing 29.6% of fatalities and 45.9% of serious injuries, while 20% occurred on national roads.