Distracted driving and speeding; the main causes of road accidents identified by the annual report of the Traffic Police.
These are two of the data points that illustrate the situation in 2023, as monitored on Italian roads and motorways by patrols engaged daily in prevention, control, rescue, and territorial protection activities on Italian roads and motorways. This extensive activity involves the deployment of an average of 1,500 patrols daily across more than 450,000 kilometers of the Italian road network.
"The data showed," according to the State Police website, "that the Traffic Police's activity led to a reduction in reported road accidents, from 45,387 last year to 44,778. But the most important figure is the reduction in fatal accidents, which decreased from 521 to 449, a 17.1 percent reduction in the number of fatalities (495)."
Excessive speed is "under special surveillance," as it is – along with distracted driving – one of the two main causes of accidents on extra-urban roads. And distracted driving returns as the second cause of accidents (12.7%) on urban roads as well, preceded only by failure to respect right-of-way or traffic light rules (16.3%).
The alarm is very high, especially for young people up to 30 years old, for whom road accidents represent the leading cause of death. The Traffic Police implements awareness projects and promotes a culture of legality directly in the territory, reaching out to citizens with vehicles such as the Camper and the Blue Bus.
"Our School has always insisted on respecting rules and the importance of attentive and focused driving," comments Vito Popolizio. "A good driver is not one who speeds, but one who is aware that road accidents almost always depend on the behavior of the person behind the wheel. And acts accordingly."
