Since returning to work, one thing I have noticed is the volume of traffic, or the traffic jams and seemingly endless accidents on the highway. Now this could just be my imagination, but the traffic situation in and around Funchal seems to have worsened, and somehow traffic accidents seem to be more numerous than before the pandemic.
However, mobile phone obsession could also be a mitigating cause, as well as the blind hope that if you walk out in front of a car, the driver will be able to stop!
The Public Security Police released their latest bulletin on the 5th of November, stating that there were 74 traffic accidents in the Region between the 29th of October and the 5th of November – Funchal (31), Câmara de Lobos (10), Ribeira Brava (2), Ponta do Sol ( 1), Calheta (2), Porto Moniz (1), São Vicente (1), Santana (1), Machico (7), Santa Cruz (17) and Porto Santo (1). Sadly, these resulted in two deaths.
Of the 74 accidents the following are worthy of mention….
A 39-year-old man was run over on Friday at the intersection of Rua do Visconde de Anadia and Rua João de Deus, in Funchal. The victim was rammed by a car and thrown about a metre forward, causing multiple traumatic injuries to the head and various parts of his body.
A pedestrian was killed on Friday when he was hit by a car in Santo, in the municipality of Porto Moniz.
A lorry driver died after losing control of his vehicle on the rapida on Friday. The lorry, which was heading towards the airport, crashed through the highway barriers, plummeted 15 metres and impacted onto the pier below, where a man was working. Luckily the bystander only suffered minor injuries.
Drive safe, Stay safe, Be safe …..
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
