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This appeared in APN, the Anglo-Portuguese News, a weekly English-language newpaper for the expatriate community in Portugal

The front page of the Nov. 9 APN carries a story about the "Fight Against Speed - Give Life a Chance" operation of the GNR. I think that N. American safety experts long since concluded that speed alone is not a major cause of accidents, although of course it makes the consequences worse, and campaigning only against speeding is an inefficient and misdirected way of tackling road deaths.

The major problem in Portugal is the incredibly aggressive style of driving, constantly trying to push other drivers out of the way by driving far too close (tailgating in US slang) and weaving in and out of traffic. The frequent reports in the papers of massive pile-ups are a consequence of this, the traffic density is too high for drivers to adapt to any changes in traffic flow, and if individual drivers try to maintain a safe inter-vehicle separation they soon find that it is impossible, as other drivers will pour into any available space.

I think that the best safety campaign would involve two aspects - enforcement of laws against unsafe driving practices (the GNR doesn't even stop drivers who run red lights!), and ridicule to combat the impression that aggressive driving is prestigious. I think that a father whose children ask him, "Daddy, why to you hop through traffic like a rabbit?" is more likely to improve than one who can break the law with impunity, and television campaigns might be way to change the public image of aggressive drivers.

William Silvert
Paço de Arcos

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