LUÍS MARREIRO. “THERE IS THE AWARENESS THAT IT’S WORTH PAYING FOR SAFETY IN HIGHWAYS”
Highway traffic increased again, and people are paying because they want “more time and safety”, stated the head of Brisa’s Road Safety Observatory. Radars had a positive effect, but technology can go further.
With decreasing number of accidents in highways, shouldn’t prices of highways decrease for example so to incentivize its use?
What we saw during the crisis was that in five years we lost a fourth of our traffic because drivers avoided paying tolls. What we saw in the following five years, during recovery time, was that most of that traffic came back. There is the awareness that it’s worth to pay for safety and for the time saved. These indicators are relevant. Regarding the toll prices, these are defined through decree. We do have some discounted products, but those are more directed towards companies. For the general public, we don’t have anything, but it’s always a possibility to consider it in the future.
Are the radars installed in several highways across the country having a positive effect?
The ANSR installed radars in the national network and we have a few with very positive results in some places. I think that ANSR’s idea is to expand the number of radars.
Is there more care on the road when drivers know that there is a radar installed?
There is more care, although the radars installed, at least in the highway network, are based on instant speed. What we can verify is that drivers come in a determined speed, they slow down in the radar area, and then they speed up again. A solution could be what already exists in England: radar control but by rout speed, and not instant speed. That is, instead of doing just one measurement, speed is measures in two specific moments to determine if the speed limits have been surpassed in that rout.
“The future of prevention in road accidents is technology, we have no doubt about that”
Could the installation of video cameras help in controlling digital distraction?
Each stretch of highway has a camera that is used for road accidents operations. Many times, even before people calling, the help van already reached the accident area because of these cameras. But that resource could probably be a possibility for safety, mainly in urban areas. Although, in terms of technology, it’s much more efficient to act on the device itself. That could implicate a partnership between the police force and the mobile phone operators that I think can have information on when the device is being used or not.
Using technology to avoid road accidents is the future bet?
The future of the prevention of road accidents is technology; there is no doubt about that. I can give you an example: in the near future, those areas where there are more accidents, the infrastructure itself will be able to act on the car and automatically reduce the speed to the recommended one. Technology is the secret. The question is when.
What kinds of campaigns are being made for the younger population?
We have a specific product, a mascot called Brisinha that visits schools. The target audience is children between 6 and 10 years old. We try most to sensitize about road accidents with content that is appropriate for that age. We also promote visits to our offices so that children can see how the world of highways work.
Elisabete Silva | Text
João Silva/Global Images | Photograph
