Initiative details
While road safety efforts often focus on prevention and driver behavior, a critical yet under-recognized issue is the post-accident condition of roadways. Hazardous residues such as oil, fuel, and vehicle debris left after a traffic incident significantly increase the risk of secondary accidents, especially in urban environments with high traffic flow or during adverse weather conditions.
It is estimated that up to 7% of road accidents are directly caused by solid or liquid waste remaining on the roadway following previous incidents. Despite this, post-accident cleaning is frequently inconsistent, delayed, or not conducted in accordance with environmental regulations.
Our initiative addresses this gap by offering a nationwide, 24/7 emergency intervention service focused on restoring road safety and environmental conditions after accidents. Activated by Civil Protection or law enforcement, our patented equipment and trained teams clean, decontaminate, and report damage with full traceability. We also georeference each intervention, helping municipalities identify accident hotspots and improve their prevention strategies.
By acting immediately after incidents, we not only reduce accident recurrence but also promote environmental compliance, public safety, and operational efficiency. Our service transforms a reactive task into a strategic road safety solution.
It is estimated that up to 7% of road accidents are directly caused by solid or liquid waste remaining on the roadway following previous incidents. Despite this, post-accident cleaning is frequently inconsistent, delayed, or not conducted in accordance with environmental regulations.
Our initiative addresses this gap by offering a nationwide, 24/7 emergency intervention service focused on restoring road safety and environmental conditions after accidents. Activated by Civil Protection or law enforcement, our patented equipment and trained teams clean, decontaminate, and report damage with full traceability. We also georeference each intervention, helping municipalities identify accident hotspots and improve their prevention strategies.
By acting immediately after incidents, we not only reduce accident recurrence but also promote environmental compliance, public safety, and operational efficiency. Our service transforms a reactive task into a strategic road safety solution.
Initiative date
Who was/is your target audience?
Policy makers
Public authorities
Children 0-16
Young adults 17-25
Adults
Parents
Seniors
Company employees
Fleet operators
Car drivers
Car drivers – professional
Educational staff
Emergency services
Public transport
Van drivers
Lorry/truck drivers
Cyclists
Micromobility riders
Powered two wheeler riders (excluding micromobility)
Pedestrians
Others
Topic
Create awareness
Education in school or in community organizations
Improve vehicles and infrastructure
Knowledge building and sharing
Provide alternative solutions
Training
Organisation details
Eurosistra Portugal, Lda
Enterprise
Portugal
Portugal
Contact name
Fernando Martins
Telephone number
+351926586411
fernando.montenegro@segurancaeambiente.pt
Website link
Project activities
If you work together with external partners, list the most important partners and briefly describe their role.
To ensure the successful nationwide implementation of our post-accident intervention service, Eurosistra Portugal collaborates with several key external partners:
Municipalities and Road Authorities: Provide formal authorisation for interventions on public roads and act as operational liaisons with local Civil Protection services.
Civil Protection Services: Activate the service in response to road accidents and support coordination on-site.
Fire Brigades: Frequently initiate service requests and occasionally assist in larger-scale clean-up operations. Eurosistra also supports these entities through annual donations as part of its social responsibility policy.
Law Enforcement (PSP and GNR): Identify accident sites and request intervention when necessary, ensuring quick activation.
EGEO (Waste Management Company): Receives and treats the hazardous and non-hazardous waste collected from roadways, ensuring compliance with national environmental regulations.
Local Operational Contractors: Execute cleaning operations regionally, under Eurosistra's supervision, ensuring rapid response across the country.
Waze (Technology Partner): Collaborates with Eurosistra to share road incident data in real time, enhancing situational awareness and response efficiency.
Municipalities and Road Authorities: Provide formal authorisation for interventions on public roads and act as operational liaisons with local Civil Protection services.
Civil Protection Services: Activate the service in response to road accidents and support coordination on-site.
Fire Brigades: Frequently initiate service requests and occasionally assist in larger-scale clean-up operations. Eurosistra also supports these entities through annual donations as part of its social responsibility policy.
Law Enforcement (PSP and GNR): Identify accident sites and request intervention when necessary, ensuring quick activation.
EGEO (Waste Management Company): Receives and treats the hazardous and non-hazardous waste collected from roadways, ensuring compliance with national environmental regulations.
Local Operational Contractors: Execute cleaning operations regionally, under Eurosistra's supervision, ensuring rapid response across the country.
Waze (Technology Partner): Collaborates with Eurosistra to share road incident data in real time, enhancing situational awareness and response efficiency.
Please describe the project activities you carried/are carrying out and the time period over which these were implemented.
Since 2012, Eurosistra Portugal has implemented a nationwide service for post-accident road safety and environmental recovery, operating 24/7 across Portugal. This initiative is activated through a free national hotline by Civil Protection, law enforcement, or emergency services.
Upon activation, our operational teams, equipped with patented multifunctional vehicles, arrive at the scene to safely clean the roadway. Activities include the removal of hazardous residues (oils, fuels, debris), aspiration and washing of the surface with biodegradable products, and temporary storage of collected waste for proper treatment by certified partners, in compliance with environmental law.
Additional project components include:
Damage reporting to municipalities within 48 hours, enabling timely repairs and insurance recovery;
Georeferenced mapping of intervention locations using our internal mobile app;
Monthly and annual reporting to road authorities with detailed data for analysis and prevention planning.
From 2012 to today, the project has completed over 45,500 interventions, removed over 1,206 tons of hazardous material, and operates in over 93 municipalities.
This initiative not only restores safety conditions swiftly, but also supports data-driven policy development, making it a key part of modern urban traffic safety and environmental stewardship.
Upon activation, our operational teams, equipped with patented multifunctional vehicles, arrive at the scene to safely clean the roadway. Activities include the removal of hazardous residues (oils, fuels, debris), aspiration and washing of the surface with biodegradable products, and temporary storage of collected waste for proper treatment by certified partners, in compliance with environmental law.
Additional project components include:
Damage reporting to municipalities within 48 hours, enabling timely repairs and insurance recovery;
Georeferenced mapping of intervention locations using our internal mobile app;
Monthly and annual reporting to road authorities with detailed data for analysis and prevention planning.
From 2012 to today, the project has completed over 45,500 interventions, removed over 1,206 tons of hazardous material, and operates in over 93 municipalities.
This initiative not only restores safety conditions swiftly, but also supports data-driven policy development, making it a key part of modern urban traffic safety and environmental stewardship.
In terms of implementation, what worked well and what challenges did you need to overcome?
The project’s success has been driven by several key strengths. First, our 24/7 national operational coverage enabled rapid intervention across Portugal, reinforcing trust with municipalities and emergency services. The use of patented equipment ensured safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible clean-ups, clearly distinguishing our service from conventional or improvised methods. Additionally, our close collaboration with Civil Protection and emergency responders enhanced coordination and response times.
The real-time georeferenced data collection, using our proprietary mobile app, allowed for transparent reporting and gave municipalities actionable insights into accident hotspots, supporting long-term planning and prevention strategies.
However, we also faced important challenges. A major one was the need to educate municipal authorities unfamiliar with the impact of post-accident residue on road safety. Establishing partnerships required ongoing communication and awareness-building. We also encountered inconsistent practices among local fire brigades, some of which used environmentally harmful materials (e.g., stone dust), necessitating technical dialogue to align procedures.
Finally, ensuring the traceability and legal compliance of hazardous waste management required meticulous documentation and a robust partnership with certified waste treatment companies. These efforts have reinforced the initiative’s credibility and ensured full alignment with environmental and safety regulations.
The real-time georeferenced data collection, using our proprietary mobile app, allowed for transparent reporting and gave municipalities actionable insights into accident hotspots, supporting long-term planning and prevention strategies.
However, we also faced important challenges. A major one was the need to educate municipal authorities unfamiliar with the impact of post-accident residue on road safety. Establishing partnerships required ongoing communication and awareness-building. We also encountered inconsistent practices among local fire brigades, some of which used environmentally harmful materials (e.g., stone dust), necessitating technical dialogue to align procedures.
Finally, ensuring the traceability and legal compliance of hazardous waste management required meticulous documentation and a robust partnership with certified waste treatment companies. These efforts have reinforced the initiative’s credibility and ensured full alignment with environmental and safety regulations.
Evaluation
Please summarise how you have evaluated the initiative’s impact (e.g. social media reach, survey, feedback forms, statistics).
Evaluating the impact of a preventive road safety initiative presents challenges, particularly in quantifying accidents that were likely avoided. However, Eurosistra Portugal employs a multi-faceted approach to monitor performance, measure results, and continuously improve.
Our main evaluation tools include:
Digital records of all interventions, captured via a proprietary mobile app with georeferenced data;
Monthly and annual reports shared with partner municipalities, detailing the number, location, and nature of interventions;
Waste management tracking, with official documentation from our certified partner (EGEO), confirming the volume and treatment of hazardous and non-hazardous residues collected;
Operational review meetings, held semi-annually or annually with road authorities to analyse performance and explore areas for improvement;
Feedback from Civil Protection and municipal partners, gathered through informal consultations and collaborative planning sessions.
As of today, the project has completed over 45,500 interventions, removed more than 1,206 tons of waste, and documented over 1,400 cases of damage to public infrastructure. These data-driven insights allow us and our partners to identify accident-prone areas, implement preventive measures, and ensure full legal and environmental compliance.
This ongoing evaluation process strengthens the project’s credibility, accountability, and strategic value.
Our main evaluation tools include:
Digital records of all interventions, captured via a proprietary mobile app with georeferenced data;
Monthly and annual reports shared with partner municipalities, detailing the number, location, and nature of interventions;
Waste management tracking, with official documentation from our certified partner (EGEO), confirming the volume and treatment of hazardous and non-hazardous residues collected;
Operational review meetings, held semi-annually or annually with road authorities to analyse performance and explore areas for improvement;
Feedback from Civil Protection and municipal partners, gathered through informal consultations and collaborative planning sessions.
As of today, the project has completed over 45,500 interventions, removed more than 1,206 tons of waste, and documented over 1,400 cases of damage to public infrastructure. These data-driven insights allow us and our partners to identify accident-prone areas, implement preventive measures, and ensure full legal and environmental compliance.
This ongoing evaluation process strengthens the project’s credibility, accountability, and strategic value.
What has been the effect of the activities?
The initiative has had a significant and measurable impact on both road safety and environmental protection in Portugal. By restoring safe driving conditions immediately after accidents, the project has helped reduce the risk of secondary collisions, particularly in urban environments where traffic density and road use are high.
To date, Eurosistra Portugal has:
Performed over 45,500 post-accident interventions;
Removed more than 1,206 tons of hazardous materials from roadways;
Documented and reported over 1,400 cases of damage to urban infrastructure;
Achieved a national average response time of 32 minutes.
These results reflect not only operational efficiency but also a direct contribution to public safety and sustainable mobility. By ensuring roads are cleaned quickly and professionally, the initiative also relieves local emergency services, particularly fire brigades, allowing them to focus on life-saving missions.
Furthermore, the collection of georeferenced data allows municipalities to identify high-risk areas, implement targeted interventions, and support long-term urban planning.
The service is now active in over 93 municipalities, with strong demand for expansion. Its success has demonstrated that post-accident intervention is not just reactive, but a strategic tool for road safety management and environmental responsibility.
To date, Eurosistra Portugal has:
Performed over 45,500 post-accident interventions;
Removed more than 1,206 tons of hazardous materials from roadways;
Documented and reported over 1,400 cases of damage to urban infrastructure;
Achieved a national average response time of 32 minutes.
These results reflect not only operational efficiency but also a direct contribution to public safety and sustainable mobility. By ensuring roads are cleaned quickly and professionally, the initiative also relieves local emergency services, particularly fire brigades, allowing them to focus on life-saving missions.
Furthermore, the collection of georeferenced data allows municipalities to identify high-risk areas, implement targeted interventions, and support long-term urban planning.
The service is now active in over 93 municipalities, with strong demand for expansion. Its success has demonstrated that post-accident intervention is not just reactive, but a strategic tool for road safety management and environmental responsibility.
Please briefly explain why your initiative is a good example of improving road safety.
This initiative addresses a critical yet often overlooked cause of road accidents: hazards left on the road after traffic incidents. By providing a rapid, 24/7 nationwide intervention service, Eurosistra Portugal ensures the immediate removal of dangerous residues, restoring safe driving conditions and preventing secondary collisions. Coupled with georeferenced data collection and collaboration with local authorities, the initiative also enables strategic accident prevention. It combines operational efficiency, environmental compliance, and public safety, making it a model of proactive and sustainable road safety management.
How have you shared information about your project and its results?
Eurosistra Portugal shares information about its activities and results through monthly and annual reports sent to partner municipalities, including detailed, georeferenced data on interventions. The company also distributes a newsletter highlighting best practices, interviews, and impact summaries. Participation in national events and forums—such as the Smart Cities Summit and Civil Protection conferences—promotes knowledge exchange and stakeholder engagement. Additionally, Eurosistra maintains an active online presence via its website and social media platforms, where it shares data insights, awareness messages, and visual content that emphasize the importance of post-accident road safety intervention.