During 2011, according to preliminary estimates, 205,000 road accidents resulting in death or injury occurred in Italy. The number of killed persons is 3,800 and the injured 292,000.
Comparing 2011 estimates to 2010 data, a decrease of road accidents resulting in death or injury is recorded (-3.0%) and injuries too (-3.5%). The decreasing of the killed persons amount is more consistent than accidents and injuries (-7.1%).
The mortality rate, calculated by means the ratio between the number of deaths and the number of accidents resulting in death or injury per 100, referred to 2011, is 1.85. This value is slightly lower than the level recorded in 2010 (1.93).
The mortality rate, by localization, based on preliminary estimates for 2011, reaches the level 3.2 for highways, 1.0 to 4.8 for urban and rural roads. The index levels were equal, in 2010, respectively: 3.1, 1.1 and 5.0 (values per 100 accidents).
The percentage change of the deaths in road accidents number, compared to 2001, is -46.4% in 2011. In 2010, the decreasing was -42.4%. The target set by the European Union in the 2001 White Paper was the reduction of killed persons of 50% within 2010. Italy has not yet reached this level in 2011.
With reference to the international context, the provisional levels of mortality rates, calculated as the ratio between the number of deaths in road accidents and the resident population (rates per 1,000,000 inhabitants), recorded in 2011 among the EU27 countries, vary between 32 for the United Kingdom to 109 for Poland.
The mortality rate for Italy, calculated on the basis of the preliminary 2011 estimate is 63.
During 2010 the UN General Assembly proclaimed a new Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 to further reduce the number of deaths due to road accidents in the world.
The European Commission, in occasion of the new decade of road safety initiatives, outlined guidelines based on seven main strategic objectives too: improving vehicle safety and road infrastructure, increasing intelligent technology, strengthen education and training for road users, improving controls, setting a goal to reduce injuries in car accidents, special care to the safety of motorcyclists.