“The app was developed by the 21 concessionaires that are part of APCAP, in partnership with ARMIS ITS, and is now available for download. The new SOS Autoestradas app avoids the use of SOS stations on highways and is now available for download. Designed to modernize roadside assistance on Portuguese highways, the app offers a convenient and digital alternative to traditional SOS stations. When a driver reports an incident through the app, the traffic control centre of the relevant concessionaire receives the alert and swiftly determines the most appropriate response, streamlining assistance and enhancing safety across the highway network.”

Collaboratively developed by APCAP's 21-member concessionaires, the new SOS Autoestradas app provides precise location tracking, is an alternative to using SOS points on highways, and avoids unnecessary calls to national emergency numbers.

"There are over 3,000 emergency telephone stations available on highways, but they're not always used. APCAP's SOS Autoestradas app represents a giant leap forward in safety and convenience for all road users in Portugal. This is the first time a solution of this kind has been available in Portugal, now accessible on highways and toll bridges managed by our partner concessionaires. From now on, anyone with a cell phone can act as an SOS station if they are a protagonist or witness to an incident, thus avoiding having to walk to the nearest station to ask for help," says Manuel Melo Ramos, president of APCAP.

Available for free download from the Apple Store and Google Play Store, the SOS Autoestradas app simplifies and streamlines requesting assistance on Portuguese highways, eliminating the need to memorize assistance numbers or identify the concessionaire responsible for the road you're traveling on. In fact, in the event of a breakdown that immobilizes a vehicle, with one click on the app, anyone with the app can automatically call for assistance from the concessionaire where the vehicle is located.

One of the crucial features of the SOS Autoestradas app is its ability to automatically locate the vehicle, identifying not only its exact position, but also the direction of travel and even the lane where the vehicle is immobilized. This location accuracy is essential for speeding up the response time of emergency teams. In addition to its primary functionality within the APCAP network, the app also offers the ability to call 112 in the event of injuries, thus ensuring emergency coverage both within and outside the concessioned highway network.

Annually, approximately 12,500 people contact concessionaires' helplines, a number that adds to the approximately 150,000 incidents detected by assistance services every year over the last decade. Currently, 80% of calls to concessionaires' hotlines are made by drivers of light vehicles, and the metropolitan areas of Lisbon and Porto, as well as the areas where each concessionaire operates, experience the highest volume of calls, with incidents peaking during the summer season.

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 since there are no dealerships helping, the app allows you to call 112 directly.

The SOS Autoestradas app can be used by all types of vehicles, including heavy goods and passenger transport, representing a significant advance in safety and convenience for all road users in Portugal.