Road accidents - preliminary estimates

In the first half of 2019, according to preliminary estimates, data showed a reduction both in road accidents resulting in death or injury1 (82,048), and in injuries (113,765), while the total number of victims within 30 days (1.505) showed a slight increase. In particular, road accidents and injuries decreased by 1.3% and 2.9% respectively, and victims increased by 1.3%, compared with the same period of the previous year.

During the first six months of the year, regarding road safety benchmarks for 2001 and 2010, deaths decreased by 23.6% in comparison with the first half of 2010 and by 54.2% in comparison with the same period in 2001. In the first half of 2019, the increase in mortality drove away the European target of 50% reduction of 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, remaining stable compared with the first semester 2018.

Increasing deaths on motorways (more than 25%) and on roads outside built-up areas (+0.3%) were mainly responsible of victims’ increase. On the contrary, deaths in rural roads decreased by 3%.

New registrations of passengers’ cars decreased by 3.4%2. The yearly average of motorway journeys was stable during the first semester 2019, in respect of the same period in 2018 (+0.6%)3, while the traffic for heavy good vehicles increased (+2.1%).