A new system of penalty points for traffic violations came into force today, June 1st 2016.The Road Safety Authority has produced a leaflet which explains the major changes. It was in Portuguese so we have translated it and posted it here for people to download if they wish. http://i.imgur.com/sULekDg.jpg(NB translation errors are our own) All Portuguese driving licences will be allocated 12 points. When drivers commit an offence points will be deducted from the driving licence on a sliding scale - according to a definition of how serious is the offence. For example, 2 points will be taken away for a “serious” breach of traffic rules and regulations (contraordenação grave)and 4 points for a “very serious” infraction, while a road crime will result in the loss of 6 points all at once.About one third of deaths in driving accidents are caused by alcohol related incidents, so driving under the influence of either alcohol or drugs carries additional penalties. A serious violation with a blood-alcohol level of 0.5 g/litre will result in the loss of 3 points, and “very serious” at 0.8 to 1.2g/litre costs 5 points.When there are 4 points left on a licence the driver must attend additional road safety training. At only 2 points left the driver must re-take the written part of the driving test. Loss of all 12 points will result in the driving ban for 2 years after which the driver must take and pass the driving exam again. Every 3 years without crimes or serious code violations 3 points are added back to the licence up to a maximum of 15 points, thereby allowing a driver to retrieve the lost points. This system is already implemented in other European States such as France and Spain - and even the UK where points are added to a licence as a “black mark”. The new regime is intended to bring Portugal intoline while making the sanctions scheme more transparent and easier to understand. All drivers will be able to check easily online the number of points they have left on their licence at the website https://portalcontraordenacoes.ansr.ptwhich is already up and running. SinceJanuary a digital record of all traffic violations has been kept on the new portal which, in turn, is expected to reduce the period for the application of fines from 6 months to 3 months almost immediately. Source: ANRS - AutoridadeNacional de Segurança Rodoviária
