Be afraid, be very afraid. And paranoid. It's the only way to drive and survive in Portugal. The umpteenth time you are unceremoniously dumped onto the hard shoulder by an oncoming articulated lorry in your lane you will probably think that they're out to get you. You're probably right. It seems that the whole country are engaged in some huge demented game of "chicken" which unsuspecting tourists have the misfortune of being periodically caught up in. The only way to retain any sanity is to stand your ground ... and hope for the best.