A few days ago, by decree of the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, the Committee for the Implementation of the National Road Safety Plan (PNSS 2030) was established. This is a step forward towards the ambitious goal of the Plan: to reduce the number of road accident victims by 50% compared to 2019, following the indications of the European Commission and the UN 2030 Agenda (we talk about it here).
National Road Safety Plan: the Safe System
The role of the new body will be, as explained in a ministerial note, "to define and promote the actions necessary to achieve the ambitious objectives of the Plan (...) by coordinating all road safety issues." The approach is that of the Safe System, which forms the framework for the road safety policies of UN member states. It is now recognized as the most effective: addressing the problem by considering all possible risk factors. The Safe System has four guiding principles:
– Drivers make errors that can lead to accidents
– The human body has a limited physical capacity to tolerate impact forces without suffering injury
– There is a shared responsibility among those who design, build, manage, and use the road system to prevent serious accidents
– All parts of the system must be strengthened so that, if one part fails or falters, road users are still protected
National Road Safety Plan: the actions
Within the framework of the Safe System approach, here are some of the actions envisioned by the Plan:
– improvement of infrastructure and vehicle safety
– updating of road design criteria
– scheduled road maintenance
– increase in "30 km/h zones" in urban centers
– creation of cycle paths to promote sustainable mobility
– information and communication campaign, with the proposal for road safety education spaces in schools and attention for those over 65
Implementation Committee: functions and objectives
The Committee is chaired by the Minister of Transport. It is composed of representatives from ministries (Economy and Finance, Health, Interior, Education, University and Research, Economic Development), Regions, and Local Authorities. Its tasks include:
– identifying guidelines for updating the PNSS 2030
– coordinating state actions with European Union directives
– coordinating interventions by public administrations and private entities
– evaluating interventions and verifying the impact of implemented measures
National Road Safety Plan, implementation guidelines
