MAIN - 08/01/2000 New Year after party tarnished by high road death toll The principal routes throughout Portugal were all stained by an elevated number of accidents and road deaths on the first days of this new century. The operation, "Life 2000", was witness to 20 deaths in a period of 72 hours, 12 higher than the same period last year. Journeys back home after the New Year's celebrations were marked by a higher than normal intensity of traffic, specially on the major roads leading to the capital. The south of the country was most affected by the intense traffic, a situation blamed on the choice of many people to stay in the Algarve until as late as possible prior to returning to work on Monday. As far as accidents were concerned, during the period between midday on Saturday and midday on Sunday, the police accounted for 168 collisions, including four deaths. The sole access routes to the capital from the south (the April 25 and Vasco da Gama bridges) had tailbacks of more than one kilometre, with an afternoon accident on the Vasco da Gama bridge involving a motorcycle and a car, the reason provided by traffic officials for the congestion over that bridge. Besides the increase in deaths, the operation "Life 2000" led to a decrease in all other road accident statistics. The Minister of Internal Affairs, Fernando Gomes, said in a press conference on Tuesday that despite the successes of traffic police in enforcing the "Zero Tolerance, Maximum Safety" road campaign, that officers should become even less lenient when addressing and fining traffic offenders. Stay at the