The Regional Secretary for Science, Technology and Infrastructures participated in a road safety action on Wednesday morning, which involved the participation of dozens of child police officers.

Under the campaigns “Com o Código de Estrada não se Brinca” (Don’t Take the Road Code Lightly) and “Polícia Por um Dia” (Police For a Day), the Regional Government the Safety Public Police (PSP) and the Ponta Delgada schools joined in an unprecedented routine traffic stop. Dozens of children wore the uniforms and took up the role of a police officer: inspect vehicles; check documents; and conduct alcohol test on drivers.

“Road safety is part of education plan to promote safety, developed in the context of citizenship and of specific programme road safety programme, whose actions are being carried out by PSP with the cooperation of the Government, which has acquired these uniforms,” stressed José Contente.

The Regional Secretary announced the conduction of a study which will soon be assigned to an expert company that will analyse the behaviour of drivers, determine the cause of accidents and suggest new measures to reinforce road safety measures in accordance with the indicators analysed.

According to José Contente, “this study is at an assignment phase and we think that the field work will be carried out within the next six months and by next year we will have reach some conclusions on the indicators and attitudes of Azorean drivers, which may provide in-depth information on road accidents in the Azores.”

Moreover, the Secretary also underlined that the road safety campaign, promoted by the Regional Secretariat for Science, Technology and Infrastructures, starts in July and will run during the summer festival months, which brings more responsibility to drivers. 

For three months, the message “Com o Código de Estrada não se Brinca” (Don’t Take the Road Code Lightly) will be disseminated on Azorean roads, with information and street actions, in the regional media and among schools and various entities. This initiative represents a 75 thousand Euro investment and is intended “to ensure that the Azores be, as much as possible, a region free of accidents,” added José Contente.
 
The Regional Secretary stressed that “we have good indicators compared to Mainland Portugal, but there cannot be, nor should there be, any enthusiasm until the ultimate goal is reached: zero deaths.” In this context, the Regional Government is promoting prevention among children and adults so that they may be able “to acknowledge and integrate new habits and attitudes towards the use of vehicles or as pedestrians.