Brazilian municipalities boost traffic safety by removing abandoned vehicles and revamping road markings

The Settran traffic agency in João Monlevade, Brazil, towed a van and two passenger cars that had been left abandoned on public streets after owners failed to act within a legally required five‑day period. The vehicles were taken to a Detran‑accredited yard; owners must pay removal fees and storage charges, or the cars may be auctioned. Officials highlighted that abandoned vehicles pose health hazards such as mosquito breeding sites for dengue, attract pests, and risk environmental contamination from oil or fuel leaks.

In Pelotas, the state Secretariat of Transport and Transit (STT) completed a set of road‑signage upgrades, repainting pedestrian crossings, speed‑reduction markings, and stop lines around high‑traffic areas including the former railway station, the Santa Casa hospital, and several schools. Secretary Claudio Montanelli said the improved horizontal signage helps organize traffic flow and reduces accident risk for drivers and pedestrians.