António José Seguro calls for road safety responsibility in Portugal

Portuguese President António José Seguro has called for a culture of responsibility on national roads to combat the dramatic rise in traffic fatalities. Speaking in Celorico de Basto during the centenary celebrations of the Associação Humanitária dos Bombeiros Voluntários Celoricenses, Seguro emphasized that road deaths should not be viewed as unavoidable fatalities.

He cited statistics indicating that in 2025, 589 people died and 2,476 were seriously injured on Portuguese roads. For 2026, he noted over 90,000 accidents resulting in approximately 300 deaths and 1,786 serious injuries. The President described these figures as 'dramatic' and urged for immediate action to stop the tragedy.

During the event, Seguro inaugurated a Firefighter Monument and awarded the Associação Humanitária dos Bombeiros Voluntários Celoricenses the honorary rank of Member of the Order of Merit. Cardinal Américo Aguiar supported the President's appeal, describing the push for safer driving behaviors as a 'national purpose.'