DATA ON THE RISE – With the end of the pandemic period and the consequent recovery of mobility, the road accidents. According to data released by ACI-Istat report on road accidents 2022last year there was an increase in road accidents of 9.2%, equal to 165,889 claimswhich resulted in 223,475 wounded (+9.2% compared to 2021) e 3,159 dead (+9.9%). On average, 454 accidents occurred every day (18.9 every hour) with 8.7 deaths (1 every 3 hours) and 612 injuries (25.5 every hour). The social cost of road accidents 2022 amounts to almost 18 billion euros (0.9% of national GDP): +9.8% compared to 16.4 billion in 2021.
THE REGIONS – Analyzing the mortality rate (number of deaths per 100,000 inhabitants), in 2022 it was higher than the national average in 14 regions, including Basilicata (8.5), Valle d’Aosta (8.1), Emilia-Romagna (7.0), Umbria and Piedmont, both at 5.7. Death rates were recorded in seven regions lower than the national average: Liguria (3.8), Lombardy, Calabria (4.0 both), Campania (4.1), Abruzzo (4.6), Sicily (4.7) and Molise (4.8). As regards the contexts where the accidents occurred, last year there was a generalized growth of all types of road sections. In the lead are extra-urban roads with 4.3 deaths for every 100 accidents, followed by motorways (3.5), and urban roads (1.1).
NOT ONLY CARS – Increase the victims among the occupants of cars1.375 (+15,4%), bikers (781, +12,4%), moped riders (70, +4,5%) e pedestrians (485, +3.2%). While the victims among cyclists (205 against 220 in 2022) and truck occupants (166 deceased: -1.8%) decreased by 6.8%.
SCOOTERS – The increase in accidents involving electric scooters is worrying, from 2,101 in 2021 to 2,929 in 2022 (+39.4%), with the injured growing from 1,980 to 2,787 (+40.8%), while the dead are 16 (in 2021 they were 9), plus a pedestrian (+77.8%).
VULNERABLE USERS – Overall, the most vulnerable users such as pedestrians, users of bicycles, electric scooters, mopeds and motorcycles, represent the 49.3% of deaths on the roads. Slightly decreasing percentage, both compared to 2021 (50.9%) and 2020 (51.4%). According to the report, the mortality and injury rates highlight higher risks for vulnerable users, with the death rate for pedestrians being 4.4 times higher than that of car occupants.
AGE OF THE VICTIMS – Analyzing the distribution by age, the victims are concentrated above all in the 45-59 years and 20-29 years for men, between 75 and 84 years and 20-24 years for women. In 2022 there was an increase in victims in the 60-64 age group (+35.5%), between very young (15-19 years: +21.2%) and young people (25-29 years: +10.4%).
THE CAUSE – According to the report, the main cause of the accidents was found to be distracted driving o l’indecisive progress (32,701 accidents, corresponding to 15% of the total), missed precedence respect o traffic lights (29,840 accidents: 13.7%) e speed too high (20,316: 9.3%).
