Portuguese drivers are among the most compliant in Europe, but only when it comes to paying fines.Portugal ranks fourth for paying up on time, in a survey of 24,000 drivers in 24 European countries.
This Saturday is World Traffic Day, designed to make drivers aware that safe driving, respecting road signs and traffic rules will prevent accidents and protect everyone's life, not only their own.
The latest European Consumer Payment Report from Intrum, a debt collection specialist, shows that 71% of Portuguese meet the deadlines to pay traffic fines with the average across the countries in the survey, being only 58%.
Portugal’s 71% of timely payers compares well with Spanish drivers of whom only 39% of men and 56% of women paid up on time, and average of 47%.
The model country is Slovakia, with 82% of offenders paying within the deadlines, followed by Lithuania with 80% and Estonia with 74%.
Portugal ranks fourth, with 71%, and at the end of the table Spain is at 47% but the worst country is the UK, where only 38% bother to pay on time.
Portugal’s target-driven traffic police raked in double the number of fines last year, compared to 2016, with 62,000 drivers handed a ticket.
Due to an inefficient judicial system, thousands of drivers went unpunished in 2017 due to delays in processing their cases yet the fear of getting locked into the 'coercive coillection' system is enough for most drivers to pay up before bank acocunts are frozen and personal property is seized by the courts.
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Even thought you have 15 days to pay the fine, GNR will retain your driving license, replacing it with a temporary driving document until you pay the fine.