The ISTAT figures on road accidents in 2017 serve as a warning on the need for a higher level of road safety and greater awareness of responsible driving behaviour. This is because the number of road fatalities rose in 2017: +95, or +2.9%.

Overall, last year there were 174,933 road accidents involving personal injury, down slightly from 2016, with 3,378 fatalities and 246,750 injuries.

According to ISTAT, the increase in the number of deaths in Italy was mainly due to the increase in the number of deaths on motorways (including ring roads and motorway junctions) and non-urban roads (296 and 1,615 deaths; +8.0% and +4.5% over the previous year). A smaller increase was recorded on urban roads (1,467 deaths; +0.3%). However, in the large municipalities the trend is the opposite, with a 5.8% decrease in the number of victims in built-up areas.

The number of victims among pedestrians (600, +5.3%) and, above all, motorcyclists (735, +11.9%) increased, while the figures for motorists (1,464, -0.4%) were more or less stable and those for moped riders (92, -20.7%) and cyclists (254, -7.6%) were down.

In 2017, once again, speeding, failure to use compulsory safety equipment and the use of mobile phones while driving were the most frequently penalised traffic offences.

The number of accidents involving the most vulnerable road users continues to rise, as do the most frequent errors, such as driver distraction, failure to give way and speeding (40.8% overall). This is the picture that emerged from the ISTAT (Italian National Institute of Statistics) report on road accidents in 2017.

Last year, the number of pedestrian fatalities rose by 5.3% compared with the previous year, a total of 600 people involved, and the statistics show a substantial increase in the number of motorcyclist fatalities (735, +11.9%). On the other hand, the figures for motorists were stable (1,464, -0.4%) and those for mopeds (92, -20.7%) and cyclists (254, -7.6%) were down.

While the urgent need to protect vulnerable road users remains, there is an equally urgent need to introduce monitoring and training measures to counter a critical worldwide trend.

The added safety provided by the application of advanced technology to urban and non-urban road traffic control and the strengthening of a valid road safety culture, especially among young people, are increasingly seen as essential tools for achieving national safety objectives.

ScaleIT, the exclusive event-platform created to facilitate contacts between international investors interested in high-potential companies and the best Italian and South-Eastern European scaleups, returns to Milan on 17 and 18 October 2018.

Safety21 has been selected as one of the 15 most innovative and promising international companies in terms of business model and performance (scaleup) that will be admitted to the fourth edition of the event. We are present in the “Later Stage” section for companies that already have a turnover of more than EUR 10 million and who will present their success stories at the event.

Represented by the CEO, Gianluca Longo, Safety21 will introduce the milestones that have marked the company’s development over the last few years and the development plan for the coming years, which focuses on playing an ever more prominent role in the road safety sector, through constant investment in technology, proprietary patents and expert partnerships.

More and more attention is paid to the quality and optimisation of services in the Digital Transformation of Safety21, which this year obtained ISO 20000 Certification for the management of IT Services.

ISO 20000 is the first international Standard specifically aimed at the Management of Information Technology Services, designed to verify consistency in the management of IT services and related infrastructures, whether in-house or outsourced. The purpose is to streamline IT processes, increase effectiveness and ensure the highest quality of services provided internally and/or externally with the associated aim of controlling costs.

Thanks to this achievement, Safety21 will be able to provide its clients with better performing and more competitive technology solutions and services on the national and international market.

In the first half of 2018, the group also passed all the inspections for its other certifications and was granted the extension of its ISO 9001 certification to include hire (EA32).

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%).

On 7 and 8 June, the Palazzo delle Stelline in Milan hosted “Innovazione Direzione Nord, l’innovazione che serve” (Innovation Heading North, the innovation you need), a series of topical meetings focusing on the innovations that are transforming everyday life. Safety21 contributed to the event, bringing its experience to the discussion panel on the “future of mobility”

In Milan, known as the centre of experimentation and dynamism, the debate found a more than adequate setting to reflect on the technology (present and future) that is needed to transform cities in an increasingly smart and innovative way, encouraging movement and the adoption of advanced measures, including with regard to road safety.

In this context, thanks to Paolo Tommasini, Business Development Manager of Safety21, we brought our experience in the field to the discussion table moderated by journalist Roberto Poletti. Claudia Terzi, Lombardy Regional Councillor for Infrastructure, Transport and Mobility, and Andrea Gibelli, Chairman of FNM (Milan Rail Company) also took part in the discussion, with a closing speech by the Deputy Mayor of the Metropolitan City of Milan, Arianna Censi.

Our integrated TITAN platform and Safe Pedestrian 2.0, the product of Safety21’s ongoing investment in research and innovation, were the technologies we offered as examples of smart applications to the safety of citizens and cities. In these contexts, as our CEO Gianluca Longo pointed out in an interview with Affari Italiani, the effectiveness of the tools is also measured in terms of compliance with data protection regulations, guaranteed levels of cyber security and transparency for citizens.

On 7 and 8 June, Palazzo delle Stelline in Milan hosts “Innovazione Direzione Nord, l’innovazione che serve” (Innovation Heading North, the innovation you need): two days of topical meetings involving institutions, companies and associations focusing on the best innovations that transform everyday life, from medical technologies to robotics and new forms of living and moving around in an increasingly smart city.

On Friday, 8 June at 10.30 am, the debate on mobility, present and future, will involve Safety21 with a presentation by Paolo Tommasini, Business Development Manager (second session – topical meeting: “New Forms of Living and Mobility” – introduced by: Arianna Censi, Deputy Mayor of the Metropolitan City of Milan)

Also taking part in the meeting, moderated by journalist Roberto Poletti, will be Claudia Terzi, Lombardy Region Councillor for Infrastructure, Transport and Mobility, and Andrea Gibelli – FNM (Milan Rail Company) Chairman.