Pandemic situation and containment measures they would have influenced the trend of road accidents and mobility also in 2021, according to the annual report ACI-ISTAT report on road accidents. Accidents, deaths and injuries have obviously increased compared to 2020 – one would think – given that for over two months in different areas of Italy it was not possible to circulate except for essential needs. However, compared to 2019, they were lower.
In 2021 2,875 (on average 7.9 per day) were killed in road accidents in Italy (+ 20% compared to the previous year), 204,728 (561 / day) injured (+ 28.6%) and 151,875 (416 / day) road accidents (+ 28.4%): values all increasing compared to 2020, but still down compared to 2019 (-9.4%, victims; -15.2%, injured: -11.8%, accidents). However, this data can only be read in one way, and that is that there are too many deaths on the roads. We say this because the reasons have not changed: in the relationship we talk about “Distracted driving or indecisive movement” (30,478 accidents: 15.4% of the total), failure to respect the right of way or traffic lights (28,293 = 14.3%) and speed too high (19,706: 10%). These three series, together, accounted for 39.7% of cases (78,477). This is followed by “irregular maneuvers” (eg reverse, inversion, lane invasion, irregular maneuvers to stop or cross the carriageway) at 7.9% and failure to respect the safety distance at 7.1%.
The social cost of the accidents was € 16.4 billion, that is 0.9% of the national GDP, also due to the effect of the new parameters applied. Accidents occurred more frequently on urban roads (73.1%), but the victims were concentrated, above all, on extra-urban roads (47.5%). Motorway traffic accounted for 5% of accidents and 8.6% of deaths. Right here, however, resulted in the most significant increase in victims compared to 2020: + 26.2%.
The death rate decreased for all road areas, but still higher on extra-urban roads – 4.1 deaths per 100 accidents (4.4 in 2020). The national average – practically unchanged since 2010 except for non significant fluctuations – was equal to 1.9. The most vulnerable users are pedestrians, wheelchair users, cyclists and all those who deserve special protection from the dangers deriving from road traffic, including children: they accounted for 50.9% of road deaths. Among the 2,875 road fatalities, 2,396 (83.3%) are men, 479 women (16.7%). The dead drivers are 2,072 (1,870 men and 202 women), passengers 332 (196 men and 136 women) and pedestrians 471 (330 men and 141 women). Among the victims, 169 are heavy vehicle occupants (+ 44.4% compared to 2020), 695 motorcyclists (+ 18.6%), 471 pedestrians (+ 15.2%), 1,192 car occupants (+ 17.1%), 67 moped riders (+ 13.6%). Finally, for bicycles and electric scooters, 229 victims were recorded, with a variation of + 30.1% compared to 2020.
With regard to the age group, the 20-24 and 45-59 age groups for men were most affected; 20-24 years and 70-84 years for women. The most consistent increase in the number of deaths was recorded in the 15-19 age group (+ 41.7%), 25-29 (+ 34.9%), 40-49 (+ 31.5%). The situation of the children is worrying: 28, between 0 and 14, lost their lives in road accidents in 2021; 23 between 5 and 14 years (they were 18 in 2019 and 29 in 2020). In particular, in the 5-9 year age group, compared to 2019, the victims increased from 4 to 6 and, in the 10-14 year class, from 14 to 17.
In total, 16,448 accidents (+ 22%) were recorded with bicycles (electric and non-electric) and 2.101 with scooters, with 229 victims (+ 30.1%) and 18,037 injured (+ 31.6%), in addition to pedestrians hit (6 dead and 535 injured). Electric bicycles were involved in 691 accidents (240 in 2020: + 187%), with 13 victims (6 in 2020: + 116%) and 671 injured. The accidents involving electric scooters have gone from 564 to 2,101 and the injured from 518 to 1,980 (values more than doubled), while the dead are 9, plus one pedestrian.
#Accidents #casualties #compared #FormulaPassion.it