The approval of the new Highway Code moves in a very specific direction: tighten sanctions for those who engage in incorrect behavior while driving their vehicle on the road. But are we sure that the incessant increase in road accidents, resulting in victims and injuries, can be attributed solely and exclusively to people’s driving behavior? The answer is evidently no, because there is another equally relevant factor that is often not taken into consideration, namely the increasingly lacking passive road safety due to poorly maintained infrastructure.
Some data
The numbers released by Istat relating to last year speak clearly: the spillage or slippage of the vehicle represented the second type of accidents involving single vehicles, with 12,994 cases and 516 deaths, while deaths related upon impact against fixed obstacles present inside or outside the roadway there were 399 out of the total of 10,326 impacts. Another interesting fact: the urban routes they were the most affected by road accidents, with 121,818 accidents compared to 8,375 on motorways and junctions.
Two complementary aspects
Is it possible that with these numbers we can even think of achieving the objective of zero road victims set by the EU? A question with an obvious answer. This is why we need to ensure that the behavior of drivers they improve as well of passive road safety infrastructures: the set of devices capable of reducing the consequences of the impact of a vehicle against a fixed obstacle must also take a step forward in terms of innovationa thought also shared by Roberto ImperoCEO of SMA Road Safety and member of the International Road Federation as well as the World Road Organization.
Underestimate the danger
“Still many fixed obstacles, such as road spires, tunnel pylons, sign poles, are not equipped with a specific impact attenuator, as are the rows of trees that often line the roads they are not protected by adequate lateral barriers. The guardrail itself can transform into a lethal weapon in the event of an accident: the end part of this barrier, if not protected by a special terminal, during the impact, transforms into a spear that penetrates the passenger compartment. As a citizen and motorist it is unacceptable that some obstacles, despite their real danger being clear, are still today without adequate protection – Impero complains – ISTAT itself notes that 10% of the most tragic accidents occur on our roads due to the vehicle skidding against road obstacles which are not adequately protected. We are therefore faced with one underestimation of the danger from North to south”.
The issue of costs
In addition to serious harm to people, an obvious consequence, the problem of inefficient passive road safety also leads costs very high for the entire country: on average we are talking about over one and a half million euros for each death. The comparison with the average investment necessary for administrations for the design and installation of passive road safety systems it doesn’t hold up: improving the set of these devices would certainly compensate for the expense caused by the increasingly high number of road accidents with victims who have nothing to do with the incorrect behavior of the driver.
Objective zero victims
“For years I have been fighting personally for make people understand the importance of passive and preventive road safety, a theme that today, with the EU’s ‘Vision Zero’, takes on even more specific weight – concludes Impero – You need to have one future-oriented outlook: fortunately the new roads are built today also paying attention to the obstacles to be protected, but in our country there are so many old routes, full of dangers which periodically claim victims. The cost of road deaths accounts for 0.9% of the national GDP, an enormity compared to what it would cost to adopt life-saving devices to protect dangerous points. Human lives should be worth much more than any economic investment: the alibi of a lack of budget no longer holds up. A timely mapping of our roads is necessary to identify dangerous points and make them safe once and for all. It’s not just an ethical issue, it’s a legal obligation“.
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