Football fans warned the roads to victory are lethal

Nearly four times as many people, per head of the population, die on roads in Portugal than in Great Britain.

Each year, more than 1,600 people die on the country's roads, which is the equivalent to 21 deaths per 100,000 people compared to six per 100,000 in the UK.

Speeding, drink-driving, dangerous overtaking and poor lane discipline in Portugal are largely to blame, along with the poor state of some of the country's roads.

Research shows that the A1, which links Lisbon and Coimbra - the venues for England's first round matches - is among the most dangerous routes in Portugal.

The A2, which joins Lisbon with the Algarve, where many fans are flying to before hiring a car to drive to Lisbon, is also among the most risky.

And the worst road of all is the IP4, a key route into Porto, where England could play a semi-final clash.

Andrew Howard, head of Road Safety at The AA Motoring Trust, said: "Thousands of fans are either taking their own car to Portugal, or hiring one when they get there.

"They must remember that, no matter how much experience they have of driving in the UK, it can be a completely different experience overseas - especially in Portugal, which has a notorious road safety record."

The AA Trust also warns that the local brew could land football fans in drink-drive trouble in Portugal, where the alcohol content of some bottled beers is nearly six per cent.

To compound the problem, the drink-drive limit in Portugal is 0.05 per cent, which is lower than the UK limit of 0.08 per cent (80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood).

Mr Howard continues: "Drink-driving is already a problem in Portugal, and motorists caught up in the football fever may be tempted to have one - or more - for the road. It could be fatal.

"The advice is for drivers to stick to soft drinks - no matter which country they are driving in."