During the first semester 2018 and with respect to the same period of the previous year, road accidents resulting in death or injury decreased by 3%, according to preliminary estimates. Victims and injured persons both decreased again by around 8% and by 3% respectively.
During the period January-June 2017, road accidents resulting in death or injury were 82,942 (estimate). Within thirty days, deaths were 1,480, while injured persons were 116,560.
During the first six months of 2018, as regards the benchmark values for the road safety decades, victims decreased on average by 25% and by 55%, compared with the first semester 2010 and 2001 respectively. The decrease of mortality levels, recorded in the first half of 2018 and compared with January-June 2017, made Italy closer to the European target of halving victims by 2020.
The mortality index (percentage ratio between the number of deaths and the number of accidents resulting in death or injury) was equal to 1.8 (down from 1.9 in the first semester 2017).
During the first semester 2018, victims’ decrease was mainly due to the reduction of victims on motorways (-15.7%) and urban roads (-8.3%). Deaths decreased also on rural roads of approximately 7%.
The new registrations of passengers’ cars increased by 0.5% compared with 2017. During the first semester 2018, the yearly average motorway journeys increased by 0.1% for light vehicles and by 3.2% for heavy good vehicles, compared with the same period in 2017 (average 0.8%).