The adoption of a more responsible driving behavior translates into a 6.8% decrease in the number of deaths and a 21% decrease in the number of accidents on Brazil’s roads. The data comes from the Federal Highway Police (PRF) and refers to traffic on highways throughout the past year.
During this period, awareness campaigns, especially with the Rodovida operation, raised awareness among drivers. A total of 7.4 million vehicles were approached by agents, and the occupants watched videos on the correct behavior to combat violence on the roads.
In 2016, along the 70,000 kilometers of federal highways, 96,296 accidents were recorded, resulting in 21,439 injuries and claiming the lives of 6,405 people.
To curb accidents, enforcement was also intensified: 5.5 million traffic violation notices were issued, 3.3% more than in 2015.
During this period, the main infraction was drivers exceeding the speed limit on highways. A total of 3.2 million were fined for behavior that endangers the lives of drivers and passengers.
However, it is the illegal overtaking that is the most dangerous on the roads, due to the risk of head-on collisions. The PRF fined 269,500 drivers for this infraction.
The combination of alcohol and driving was detected 21,400 times. In the case of 5,600 drivers, the blood alcohol concentration was so high that they ended up being arrested.
Source: Government of Brazil