Brazilian Federal Highway Police (PRF) reports an 82% reduction in serious accidents.

Alagoas247 - The Federal Highway Police (PRF) report on the Easter holiday shows an 82% reduction in serious accidents on Alagoas roads. The data was released on Tuesday afternoon (7) by the PRF press office. The numbers show that, as with Carnival this year, PRF agents recorded a decrease in accident and death rates.

During the five days of operation, there were 14 accidents, 20 injuries, and 2 deaths on the federal highways (BRs) that pass through Alagoas. Comparing these data with the statistics from Operation Holy Week 2014, and taking into account the growth of the national vehicle fleet, there was a 56% reduction in the accident rate and a 53% reduction in the death rate. Regarding serious accidents, the reduction was even greater, at 82%. The number of injuries remained practically stable, with a 1% decrease.

According to the Federal Highway Police (PRF), in Alagoas, despite the existence of seven federal highways, accidents were concentrated on three federal highways (BRs): BR 101, BR 104, and BR 316, where 8, 1, and 5 accidents were recorded, respectively. The data indicates that more than half of the accidents occurred on Friday and Sunday, four on each day. The most frequent types of accidents were vehicles leaving the road and side collisions.

Despite the decrease in accidents, the Federal Highway Police reported many instances of reckless driving on the federal highways that pass through Alagoas. In total, 13 people were cited for drunk driving, receiving fines of R$ 1.915,40, in addition to losing 7 points on their license and having their driving privileges suspended.

Four drivers were not only fined but also arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. They had blood alcohol levels above 0,30 mg/l, a conduct considered a crime under the Brazilian Traffic Code. One of them, who was riding a motorcycle at the time of the stop, registered a value of 1,47 mg/l when blowing into the breathalyzer, a level considered extremely high.

According to data from inspections, for every 43 breathalyzer tests conducted by the Federal Highway Police (PRF) this Holy Week, one person was caught driving under the influence of alcohol. During Carnival this year, 82 tests were needed for each instance of driving under the influence, demonstrating a lower level of awareness among drivers who circulated on federal highways in Alagoas during the Easter holiday.

In addition to issuing citations for drunk driving, the Federal Highway Police (PRF) also caught more than 600 drivers committing traffic violations on the state's federal highways. In total, 1.600 vehicles were stopped and approximately 1.700 people were inspected. Among the most frequent infractions were forced overtaking or overtaking in prohibited areas and speeding.

Fatal Accidents

With increased enforcement during the Holy Week holiday and the punishment of many offending drivers, many tragedies were avoided by the Federal Highway Police (PRF) this Holy Week. Despite all the effort, the PRF still recorded two fatal accidents in Alagoas. Both occurred on Good Friday (03), one on BR 101 and the other on BR 316.

The first accident occurred around 15:30 PM on BR 316, in Belém, in the interior of Alagoas. A 250cc motorcycle collided laterally with a semi-truck. The motorcyclist, only 15 years old and therefore unlicensed, did not survive the impact and died at the scene. The truck driver was unharmed.

The second accident occurred at 19 PM on BR 101 in Novo Lino/AL. A VW Gol crossed into the opposite lane and collided head-on with a D20 pickup truck. The 32-year-old driver of the Gol died before receiving medical attention, still on the federal highway. The only passenger in the Gol and the driver of the D20 sustained only minor injuries.

With Gazetaweb.com and press office