New application speeds up roadside assistance requests

The Portuguese Association of Toll Road and Bridge Concessionaires (APCAP) launched a mobile application this Wednesday, which allows you to request assistance in the event of a breakdown or accident on motorways, without leaving your car or using physical SOS stations.

Developed by APCAP's 21 associated concessionaires, SOS Autoestradas aims to be a faster, more accurate and safer alternative to traditional means of contact, also avoiding unnecessary calls to national emergency numbers, according to a statement released this Wednesday.

"There are more than 3,000 emergency telephone booths available on highways, but they are not always used. APCAP's SOS Autoestradas app represents a giant step forward in safety and convenience for all road users in Portugal," said the association's president, Manuel Melo Ramos, quoted in the same document.

" This is the first time a solution of this kind has been available in Portugal . From now on, anyone with a cell phone can act as an SOS station if they are the protagonist or witness to an incident, thus avoiding having to walk to the nearest station to ask for help," he added.

Available for free download from the Apple Store and Google Play Store, the application automatically locates the vehicle , identifying its exact position, direction of travel, and even the lane in which the vehicle is stopped, information that speeds up the response of assistance teams.

The main functionality applies to the motorway network managed by APCAP concessionaires, but the application also allows you to contact 112 directly if there are any injuries , thus ensuring emergency coverage both inside and outside the motorway network under concession.

According to data from the association, around 12,500 people contact dealerships' helplines every year , adding to the approximately 150,000 incidents detected every year by assistance teams over the last decade.

"Currently, 80% of calls to concessionaires' hotlines are made by drivers of light vehicles," says APCAP, indicating that the metropolitan areas of Lisbon and Porto record the highest volume of contacts, with a peak in incidents in the summer.

"The standard procedure after a call for assistance is to call 112 whenever there are injuries. Even in these cases, the SOS Autoestradas app can be helpful, because whenever the incident occurs within the APCAP network, the concessionaire directly mobilizes emergency resources. Outside this network, and because there are no concessionaires providing assistance, the app allows you to call 112 directly," the association adds.

The application can be used by all types of vehicles, including heavy goods and passenger transport.