The European Commission aims to halve the number of deaths and serious injuries on Europe’s roads by 2030 through the “3rd Mobility Package”, a package of measures with considerable added value in contributing to road safety that has already been welcomed by both the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) and the IAF (International Automobile Federation).

The Commission proposes that new vehicle models should be equipped with advanced safety features, such as emergency braking, lane assist and detection systems for pedestrians and cyclists, the most vulnerable road users. In addition, the Commission is helping Member States to systematically identify dangerous road sections and better target their investments. These measures could save up to 10,500 lives and avoid almost 60,000 injuries in the period 2020-2030, thus contributing to the EU’s long-term goal of approaching zero deaths and serious injuries by 2050 (“Vision Zero”).

Central to the programme is the role assigned to technology and investment in innovation, with a call to seize the value of progress by anticipating challenges but also opportunities, as well as the adoption of an integrated policy for the future of road safety.

Speed limits: a sensitive and always hotly debated issue that divides public opinion and worries professionals. The results of a study carried out in 10 countries by the International Transport Forum provide an answer to the question of whether the current limits should be raised. The answer is significant. Research has confirmed that, with a 10% increase in speed limits, 40% more fatal accidents would be recorded. Not only more fatalities, but also more accidents involving injuries (+20%) and more non-fatal injuries. 

The 10 countries covered by the analysis were Australia, Austria, Denmark, France, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Norway, Sweden and the United States, i.e. those that have taken action on road safety by lowering limits or introducing automatic speed control systems such as Tutors.  An analysis of the data showed that roads with lower speed limits were also the safest, with fewer accidents and fewer fatalities, confirming that increasing speed limits does not lead to a reduction in accidents and fatalities.

This is something that we at Safety21, who also work to raise road safety standards through the installation of speed control equipment, can confirm: where we have been involved, the average speed has fallen and, consequently, so has the number and severity of accidents, with a resulting increase in the sense of safety on urban and non-urban roads.

The ASAPS (Association of Supporters and Friends of the Traffic Police) Observatory comments on Vehicular Homicide: figures for 2017 show a 6.6% drop in hit-and-runs, compared to 2016. “Those who claimed (critically) that following Italian Law no. 41/2016 on Vehicular Homicide, we would see an upsurge in serious hit-and-run incidents were wrong”, comments ASAPS president, Giordano Biserni.

According to the ASAPS Observatory, there were 1,113 hit-and-runs in 2017, compared with 1,192 in 2016, and the number of injuries fell even more sharply, with a double-digit drop of 12%.

There was, however, a slight increase in the number of fatalities, with 118 deaths in 2017 compared with 115 in 2016: an increase of 2.6%.

The number of ‘hit-and-run’ drivers who were identified was 597 or 53.6%. The percentage rose to 64.1% for fatal hit-and-runs, with 75 drivers identified (45 reported and 30 arrested) out of 117 fatalities. The number of ‘hit-and-run’ drivers who tested positive for alcohol or drugs is still decreasing, with a percentage that stopped at 12.9%, and at 13.3% for fatalities.

Unfortunately, the most vulnerable road users are still the primary victims of hit-and-runs, particularly pedestrians, who were involved in 435 incidents, followed by cyclists. While in terms of geography, Lombardy still ranks first, with 179 incidents (16%), Campania second with 120 (10.8%), followed by Emilia Romagna with 108 (9.7%).