One of the serious offenses to drive is the misuse of the phone. And even for moments it can be enough to cause a serious accident, taking into account the distance made “blind”.
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13/08/2026
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Using a mobile phone behind the wheel is considered a serious contra-ordination. But in addition to penalties if caught, the most important thing is the potential consequences of such an infringement.
According to the Public Security Police, looking at the phone three seconds while circulating at 50 km/h “means walking almost 42 meters blind”.
The authority also warns that the misuse of the mobile phone while leading to “continues to be one of the main causes of serious sinisterity”. On the other hand, the National Health Service reinforces that this infringement “four times increases the risk of accident“.
Over 20,000 violations last year
The Annual Internal Security Report (RASI) 2025 shows that last year, gNR and PSP detected in surveillance operations 26,413 infringements by mobile phone use while driving. On the other hand, the National Road Safety Authority (ANSR) says that, only in 2025, the distraction behind the wheel for various reasons (and not only the phone) originated 12,215 accidents.
Portuguese admit transgressions
The ESRA 3 survey for 2023 shows that in Portugal 35.1 percent of respondents admitted having read a message or seen social media or news at the wheel at least once in the previous 30 days. A figure above 23.2 percent of the average of the 22 countries concerned at work. The Portuguese percentage is 26.5 percent against the 22 percent europeans when the point is to talk on the phone driving holding it with your hands.
It is dangerous and there are heavy sanctions
In addition to the risk to the offender, other passengers and road users, using the mobile phone while driving is punishable by a fine of 250 to 1,250 euros, inhibition of driving between one month and one year and the loss of three points on the driving licence.