Portuguese police fined 24 drivers of bicycles and scooters during a seven-day nationwide operation to check traffic regulations for these types of vehicles, the force announced today.
In a statement, the Public Security Police said that as part of the “Safe Active Mobility” operation, which ran between May 30 and June 5, 1,114 drivers were inspected, including 723 cyclists, 340 scooters and 51 other cyclist-equivalent vehicles.
During this inspection, adds the PSP, 24 administrative infringement notices were recorded against bike and scooter drivers, including for failing to obey red lights, improper positioning of the vehicle, use of cell phones while driving and use of headphones.
The PSP points out that the growing trend towards the use of bicycles and scooters “poses road safety problems, as their drivers share the roadway with other users, whether pedestrians or other vehicles, namely motorized vehicles”.
According to the police, the aim of the operation, carried out in the PSP’s area of responsibility, in urban centers, was to “intensify checks on bicycle and scooter drivers”, to contribute to “the general information of society on the traffic rules for this type of vehicle”, to raise awareness among users and to “crack down on the riskiest behavior, likely to cause serious accidents”.
The operation was part of the celebration of World Bike Day, which took place on June 3.
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