Campaigns of GNR and 427 flowers for the victims on the roads - Público.pt

President of the Association of Citizens Auto-Mobilized (ACA-M), Manuel João Ramos believes it would be “cheaper improve roads that support the socio-economic costs” of accidents and claims that the impact of the accident on public health is “awesome”. In Viseu, 427 flowers will serve to symbolically represent the fatalities recorded this year (until 31 October).

“We are talking about financial impacts, not to mention the social and personal tragedies in the order of 2-3 percent of the total cost (direct and indirect costs) with health” considering the Product Gross Domestic Product (GDP). A number that is sustained based on the latest study conducted to assess this impact, which was developed in 2010 by the Center for Economic Analysis of Social Regulation (CARS) of the Autonomous University of Lisbon. According to the study, this year, the direct cost to road accidents was 1 890 million euros, or 1.17 percent of GDP (163 033 euros).

“If accumulating what was spent on each fatality, had achieved, for example, make a logo in 1984 A25 or correct curves Marão the IP4 and prevent the deaths of 30 people,” exemplified Manuel João Ramos. “The accounts are not difficult to do. On average we would have ten million a year to solve problems where sometimes it takes just a few hundred euros, for example placing proper signage. “

reminder is made in the year that the Day of Remembrance of the Victims in the road that marks this Sunday’s theme is security infrastructure, but the alert that comes from various organizations around the world focuses on the costs that entails road accidents worldwide. According to the United Nations predicts that by 2020 road accidents are the fifth leading cause of death worldwide. “This is almost an epidemic and therefore must be treated as a public health problem,” says the president of ACA-M.

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Manuel João Ramos, Portugal is not in the index of the countries with the highest rate of road deaths in the world, but regrets that there is a bet stronger in security and passing through “ensure that the roads do not kill” because their quality.

On the other hand, points out, is also lament the lack of action in the regulation of road safety audits. For Manuel João Ramos breach of this State is a “crime”. “In Portugal we do not have a mechanism to ensure that the roads do not kill. Since 1998, the audits are planned and entered in the National Road Safety Plan, but this mechanism is not regulated, “he stresses. And as regards example: “the IC8 accident earlier this year with a bus killed 11 people. So far no one knows the cause, but continues to move in that way, precisely because it was not made an audit. And this is a criminal breach. “

The president of ACA-M can not just talk in a “cultural problem accident” for drivers, while the “state responsibility is not assumed.” Accusations that the roads Portugal (EP) refuses, remembering that makes regular audits and inspections road. “We control our road network, since the quality of the pavement signage, and also participated with other entities in the preparation of opinions,” the press office of the EP.

Day in Memory of the Victims in road points up for 20 years and nine which has the status of World Day. In Portugal, the celebrations began in 2002. This year, the construction, maintenance and road safety is the main theme. “Errors and distractions while driving occur daily and lead to an unimaginable amount of injuries, deaths and suffering. Although disasters road accidents can not be totally avoided, will not have such tragic consequences if the streets and roads are designed and maintained to be safe, “says in a statement to ACA-M. This association also noted that the largest number of accidents occurs on urban roads where there is “inadequate” road management.

Ceremony in Viseu
Viseu was the city chosen for the national celebrations of the Day of Remembrance for Victims on the road. Besides tours urban route carried by cyclists and motorcyclists and a Mass celebrated by the Bishop of Viseu, will take place during the morning, a memorial of flowers and 427 Street, representing the fatalities recorded this year (until 31 October) will be placed in the gardens of the city center.

these celebrations are accompanied by other agencies, including the National Guard that will put on the ground several prevention campaigns across the country. In Póvoa de Lanhoso – Braga – there will be a semblance of a road accident in EN103. According to data, still provisional, the National Association of Road Safety, and Lisbon and Porto, Braga, Aveiro and Setúbal are the districts with the most fatalities resulting from traffic accidents that occurred during this year.

Already

data released by the World Health Organization (for 2010) indicate that in Portugal the rate of traffic deaths has declined since 2001, but remains in 15 Western European countries, with the second largest index, surpassed only by Greece. The report concludes that in 2010 937 people died in road accidents, which equates to 11.8 persons per 100 thousand inhabitants.