Road safety: Traversi (Italian Minister of Infrastructure and Transport), towards new guidelines

A first step towards the National Road Safety Strategy 2030. An agreement on the drafting of guidelines, which will be the basis of the new strategy, was indeed signed this morning at the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, as disclosed by the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Roberto Traversi. Commented the event, he stated: “This signature lays the foundations for implementing a strategy to tackle road safety issue in our country over the next ten years. This entails scheduling measures, information campaigns and specific projects”.   “Despite the significant progress made, Italy, like other big European countries, has failed to reach the EU target to halve road fatalities by 2020 – he also stated – We need to relaunch the strategy to fight and prevent accidents through a new approach, considering road infrastructures as a ‘system’ that needs to be secured and aiming at reducing any risk factors. In addition, it is important to avoid assessing exclusively the driver’s responsibility.” Guidelines shall also include, at the request of the Ministry of Transport – the notice reads – specific focus on accidents of young drivers attending night clubs, on the safety of school areas and on assistance projects for the victims of road accidents. According to the agreement, guidelines for the new National Strategy will be drafted by the temporary committee entrusted with this task by the end of October and will be then approved by the inter-ministerial decree of the Ministries of Transport, Health, Internal Affairs and Education that will be submitted for the approval of both the Chamber and the Senate committees.  The agreement has been signed with Professor Luca Persia of Rome University “Sapienza”, representing temporary committee entrusted with this task that brings together the universities of Brescia, RomaTre, Florence and Cagliari.