Iss, in the car less than 40% use seat belt in the back and 2 out of 10 without a child seat

Road accidents are increasing, but too many Italians still do not use safety devices correctly to avoid them. In cars, less than 4 out of 10 fasten their seat belts when sitting in the back seat. And 2 out of 10 travel without a child seat on board. These are some of the data highlighted by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità which, in view of the August exodus, invites people to respect the rules.

The latest Aci-Istat report on road accidents, published in recent days – the ISS recalls – indicates that in 2023 the travel habits of Italians have returned to pre-Covid levels. Compared to 2022, the number of victims has dropped, but for accidents and injuries the figure is higher, although limited. The document recorded 166,525 accidents with injuries (456 per day): 73.3% on urban roads, 21.4% on extra-urban roads and 5.3% on motorways. 15.1% occur due to distracted driving, 12.9% due to failure to give way and 8.4% due to excessive speed. The social costs of accidents in Italy amount to 18 billion euros (1% of GDP). In 2023, there were 3,039 deaths within 30 days of the accident, an average of 8 per day. 79.5% of those who die on the roads are men, 20.5% are women.

In light of these figures, according to the Passi surveillance, while “the use of the front seat belt in cars is widespread, even if it does not yet reach the total coverage required by law – reports the ISS – the use of the rear seat belt, although increasing over time, is still very far from what the legal obligation would impose: in the two-year period 2021-2022 only a third of the interviewees (36%) declared that they always use the rear seat belt when traveling by car. The use of a helmet on a motorcycle/scooter instead seems to be a consolidated practice: approximately 96% of the interviewees who travel by motorcycle (as a driver or passenger) declare that they always wear it”. Since 2011, the Passi surveillance has also investigated the use of child seats and/or adapters for transporting children in cars. Well, “in the two-year period 2021-2022 – reports the ISS – 2 out of 10 people reported having difficulty using these devices, not using them at all or even not having any safety devices, even when traveling by car”.