Fewer casualties in road accidents, but more deaths among young people

2019-12-30T10:19:45.918Z

Road traffic fatalities are decreasing, but the number of young people and the weaker groups making up 50% of the total deaths increases. This is what emerges from Istat data. "We are seeing an increase in the number of victims of vulnerable categories, especially among pedestrians - declares Angelo Sticchi Damiani, president of the Automobile Club d'Italia." According to the data, in 2018 the victims between 15-19 years increased by 25.4%, among the elderly by 22%, among mopeds by 17.4% and among pedestrians by 1.5%. Victims among children are decreasing instead. The age groups most at risk are young people between 15 and 24 years of age (413 deaths: 12.4% of the total; 70.2 deaths per million residents) and the elderly between 70 and 74 years of age (222 deaths: 6, 7% of the total; 78.4 deaths per one million residents). For men, there are peaks in three age groups: 40-44 (200 deaths), 20-24 (197), 55-59 (194). For women higher frequencies for ages 70-84 (179). In 2018 there were 9 fewer victims among children 0-14 years (34 compared to 43 the previous year: -20.9%), but we are still far from the "vision zero" objective established by the National Safety Plan Road 2020. Among all drivers involved in accidents, the number of those between 40 and 49 years (21%) is particularly high, followed by young people between 20 and 29 years (19%) but there are also high proportions among older (8% aged 70 and over). Compared to patents, the probability of being involved in an accident is higher in the very young, while it decreases from the age of 25. The victims among centaurs also increased (108; + 17.4%) - which are confirmed among the most risky categories - and pedestrians (609; + 1.5%). Overall, vulnerable users account for around 50% of deaths (1,621 out of 3,325). In 2018, 1,420 victims were recorded among drivers and passengers of cars (-3%), 685 among motorcyclists (-6.8%), 219 among cyclists (-13.8%).