Brazil's Federal Highway Police Report Mixed New Year Road Outcomes Across States

Overview

• Operation Ano Novo 2026 ran from December 30 to January 4 with intensified patrols, checkpoints, breath tests and educational actions on federal highways.
• In Ceará, total crashes fell 46% to 15, serious crashes dropped to 9 and injuries fell to 18, yet five people died across four fatal incidents.
• In Paraíba, crashes declined 36% to 19 and serious cases fell to 10, while deaths increased to three compared with one in the previous year.
• In Pará, authorities recorded 15 crashes and two deaths, with accidents up 114%, serious cases up 133% and injuries up 212% versus the prior New Year period.
• Nationally, the PRF reported 109 deaths and 1,315 injured during the holiday, alongside 61,426 breath tests and more than 100,000 people approached in enforcement actions.