The relationship with new technologies and insurtech is now fundamental for security operators facing a major technological and cultural evolution. An example of this change is the black box: a device that records speed, acceleration, driving style and all the data relating to what happened immediately before and after a road accident, reducing the cost of insurance and providing a number of benefits from the data it collects.

Installation will be mandatory from May 2022 for new cars, and from 2024 for older models. The aim is to identify more precisely who is responsible for accidents, not least by reconstructing what happened (speed, acceleration, impact), but there is a great deal of potential for using the data stored and disseminated by connected cars, enabling a variety of services, affecting several parties and changing not only road safety specifically but mobility in general.

What does the future hold? A future in which road safety data will increasingly be part of an integrated ecosystem. Infrastructure managers, for example, will be able to rely on up-to-date data collected in the field to understand the state of wear and tear on roads, and local and central government will be able to determine through concrete figures where and why new structures need to be built based on real requirements and traffic.

Within this new paradigm, we are certain that the involvement of the private sector, also in terms of opportunities for innovation, will be increasingly important.

Speeding is the main problem in road safety: it is a major factor in some 30% of fatal road accidents and significantly increases the risk of an accident.

Despite this, 40-50% of drivers on European roads exceed the recommended speed limit and 10-20% drive 10 km/h faster than the permitted limit. Confirmation of this trend is also provided at local and Italian level by the “Driving Style Observatory”, which in a recent survey of the behaviour of users of the A4 motorway (Brescia-Padua) found that on the section of road analysed, 16% of light vehicles and 85.5% of heavy vehicles exceeded the permitted speed limit on the motorway, and 2% of light vehicles and 1% of heavy vehicles exceeded the speed limit by more than 20 km/h.

This is a sample of the widespread behaviour, known to be ‘dangerous’ but completely underestimated in terms of the outcome. Incorrect and risky driving endangers your own life and that of others. Respecting the limits is an act of responsibility.

Recent European figures indicate that 70% of victims on urban roads are pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. It is therefore very important to map the technology available for improving road safety in order to give significant impetus to progress in the sector as well as the chance to reduce the ever-increasing accident figures, particularly those affecting more vulnerable road users.

Yet technology in itself may not always be the answer when faced with an emergency. Examples of positive innovation that are disconnected from road safety risks and behaviour patterns show that it is not always so.

One of these involves the silent running of electric and hybrid cars.

Paradoxically, this innovation has resulted in increased risks for pedestrians, who are not used to not being able to hear the noise of a car and are therefore more vulnerable to accidents.

This has led to corrective action by the EU that will “oblige” ‘green’ vehicles to make a minimum level of preventive noise.

Ultimately, road safety is always the result of a constant dialogue between innovation and cultural norms, meaning that as technology responds to its challenges, it always needs to strike a balance between forward-looking thinking and social behaviour.

Another milestone for Safe Pedestrian 2.0: our system for monitoring pedestrian crossings without traffic lights has now reached Santa Marinella.

In line with European legislation, which requires a significant reduction in the number of deaths and injuries caused by road accidents by 2020, the Region of Lazio has decided to undertake a series of initiatives aimed at making the area safer. These include the adoption of a ‘Safe Pedestrian 2.0’ system that was installed at the end of May on the Aurelia State Road (Km 60+800) at a pedestrian crossing that presents a potentially critical safety risk to more vulnerable road users.

The 360° camera allows Safe Pedestrian 2.0 to monitor pedestrians in real-time and retrieve video recordings that can be used to establish the circumstances and responsibilities in the event of an accident.

Following on from Porto San Giorgio, Labico, Arosio and Torno, Santa Marinella is now the fifth municipality in Italy to host Safety21’s high-tech pedestrian system, at a time when local authorities are becoming increasingly conscious of a problem whose numbers are tantamount to an emergency: in 2017, 600 pedestrians died in Italy and more than 20,000 were injured, most of them permanently. In the Santa Marinella municipality alone, ACI (Italian Automobile Club) statistics for 2017 show that there were 26 road accidents on the Aurelia road, leaving 44 people injured.

Safety21 S.p.A. announced that it had completed its acquisition of 100% of the share capital of the Multiservizi S.r.l. company. After an initial phase of internal growth, characterised by the success of the TITAN® proprietary cloud platform and by innovative infrastructure models for Public Authorities through Project Financing, Safety21 has embarked on a course of national and international acquisitions, aimed at bringing core elements of the Group’s chain of services in-house.

Multiservizi S.r.l., which also includes in its scope the operating branch of Tecnotraffico S.r.l., which it acquired in 2018, is based in Orvieto and is the leading Italian company in the outsourced management of foreign vehicle traffic penalties and the associated recovery of unpaid debts.

“We are very satisfied with the acquisition of Multiservizi, which represents a jewel in our crown in terms of process optimisation,” said Gianluca Longo, Safety21 Group founder and CEO. “And with over 30 years’ experience in the sector, it will contribute to our Group’s management and know-how for the development of specific vertical applications on our TITAN® IoT cloud platform, as well as a client portfolio of over 300 Italian local authorities, including the main metropolitan cities.”

Last May, Safety21 completed a capital increase of EUR 14 million, fully subscribed by the current shareholder, in addition to the EUR 6.5 million already subscribed in recent years. The increase was accompanied by a EUR 15 million senior loan obtained from a pool of banks including UBI Banca (lead bank) and Banco BPM. A pot of resources worth EUR 29 million entirely earmarked for the acquisition of target companies already identified in the relevant national and international markets, of which Multiservizi marks the first step.

Full press release in Italian and English

March 2015: “Ti Voglio Bene”, the integrated legality project for secondary school students developed by Safety21 in partnership with the Department of Psychology at “La Sapienza” University in Rome, arrived in Ascoli Piceno.

This was the first-ever use of the format, which aims to educate young people on correct driving behaviour and raise their awareness and sense of responsibility towards the risks involved in road traffic by means of high-impact training and communication campaigns.

Then it was Porto Ceresio’s turn, involving primary and secondary schools, and after that, Porto San Giorgio.

Today, four years after its official launch, Safety21’s “Ti Voglio Bene” project has featured at events and in both institutional and non-institutional contexts; strengthened by important new partnerships, most recently with Ducati, it bears steady witness to the Group’s ongoing social commitment to the next generation.

With the recent addition of the “red” two-wheeler brand, “Ti Voglio Bene” not only has a partner with worldwide appeal and the capacity to reach young people even more effectively via Ducati ambassadors in schools, but has also extended its target to an even younger audience, with special initiatives designed for children up to 6 years old.

With 152.2 km of special stages (41.73 on Friday – 110.47 on Saturday) and a total distance of 486.67 km (124.26 on Friday – 362.41 on Saturday) the 66th Rallye Sanremo will officially kick-off and return to enliven the city on 12-13 April.

Safety21 will be taking part in the Rallye Sanremo by sponsoring two special stages: the PS2 Vignai (14.31 km, scheduled for Friday, 12th at 17:45) and the PS7 Testico (14.24 km, Saturday, 13th at 11:54).

With its strong social commitment, Safety21 has worked for many years on specific educational initiatives to promote greater awareness of road safety amongst young people. Sponsoring a major event like the Rallye di Sanremo is a valuable communication opportunity for the company and an opportunity to promote safety awareness at an event that appeals to a wide audience and whose appeal, by definition, lies in the speed of the cars. However, the road we drive on every day is not a rally track and requires everyone’s commitment to respecting the rules and speed limits in order to be safe.

Previews of the special stage routes are already being streamed on the rallyesanremo.com website. The cameracars can be accessed by clicking on the logo containing the event number and the sponsor on the corresponding race map (https://rallyesanremo.com/66-rallye-di-san-remo/).

The initiative was developed in association with Primocanale Production. Live coverage will be available on the primocanalemotori.it website, via the official Primocanale app and on channel 12 DTT in Liguria.

Besides marathons, there is also solidarity and social commitment. Safety21 supports the Montecitorio Running Club charitable initiative, a sports association that gathers parliamentarians from all political parties who are running enthusiasts that was established to promote sport and health, as well as to help small voluntary associations by financing worthy projects. This year, with the support of its partners, the Montecitorio Running Club will also be supporting the charity ‘Disabili No Limits’, an association that provides sports equipment for the disabled, which, since it is not included in the National Health System, can become an additional obstacle for many disabled people who are in a difficult economic situation.

One of the Club’s first sporting initiatives will be the Italy Run, a 5-mile race that takes place every year on the 2nd of June (the Anniversary of the Italian Republic) in New York’s Central Park. A moment of sport and sharing, with the Italian delegation – about 50 people, including 20 parliamentarians – celebrating together with the Italian-American community and local institutions.

The 2019 Montecitorio Running Club programme was presented at a press conference on 3rd April at the Chamber of Deputies with the participation of the initiative’s promoter and honorary president of the Club, Maurizio Lupi.

Safety21 and Ducati have signed a three-year partnership aimed at creating events and media campaigns to promote a culture of road safety.

The alliance formed as part of social initiatives embraced by the two companies and is an integral part of the “Ti Voglio Bene” (I Love You) project: an integrated road safety plan created by Safety21 in association with the Department of Psychology at Rome’s “La Sapienza” University and offered to Public Authorities to promote a stronger collective road safety education culture. All these initiatives are aimed at local police authorities and primary, middle and secondary school students.

Safety21 CEO Gianluca Longo commented on the partnership: “Social commitment has always been a priority for Safety21. Along with investments in technology, road safety awareness and training projects play a key role at a time when there are more and more traffic fatalities. We are proud of this partnership with Ducati, as it will allow us to reinforce the message of safety awareness through initiatives focused on the world of motorcycling, while keeping firmly in mind the European objective of reducing road fatalities by 50%, to which our activities are contributing in partnership with institutions and public authorities”.

Like Safety21, the Borgo Panigale company, through its Ducati Foundation, has long been committed to promoting social responsibility and, specifically, road safety through social, educational and informative initiatives.

“The Ducati Foundation’s aim is to dedicate commitment and resources to the protection and preservation of Ducati’s historical heritage, as well as offering initiatives aimed at Education and Road Safety,” said Luigi Torlai, Ducati Foundation Executive and Human Resources Director. “Since 2008, a real bridge has been formed between schools and the company, thanks to specific projects that make Ducati’s wealth of human, technical and professional skills available to teachers and students. Equally effective and active have been the many social responsibility initiatives. By supporting the Safety21 project, the Ducati Foundation is establishing a further synergy between the initiatives on offer, reinforcing and confirming the importance the company places on the key issue of road safety.”