The Italian government will take measures to protect vulnerable road users
Two days after the tragic accident that took the life of Davide Rebelli, Italy’s Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Matteo Salvini, wrote an open letter to Gazzetta.. In France, no specific measures have been taken into account by the government at the moment despite an increase in fatal accidents among cyclists this year.
“This tragic death has raised the issue of road safety several times. For 41 days, I have had the honor of leading such an important and complex ministry as MIT, and among the various files is one dedicated to the highway code and the commitment to accident prevention. The subject is serious and does not deserve to be trifled with. So I will be extremely specific: The statistics present a disturbing picture. In absolute terms, a record number of accidents was recorded in Rome, followed by Milan, but between 2020 and 2021, the increase in the number of deaths is 11.1%, some cities deserve special attention: in Messina, the number of deaths increased by 133%, 85.7%. in Florence and 54.5% in Catania. The numbers for scooters are huge: the increase in inquiries between 2020 and 2021 is +272.52%.
action is needed
It is clear that measures are needed to protect this “culture of safety” mentioned by Urbano Cairo in yesterday’s Gazzetta dello Sport and referred to in the letter addressed to the head of state by the cycling associations. In addition to the assessment of a possible reform of the traffic code, which is justified by the technicians (the aim is to protect the users most at risk, such as cyclists), Mitt has already started an awareness campaign on social media. It got even stronger during the Christmas period. This is the initiative I inherited: we will do more
Inventory of roads and bicycle paths
It is important to take inventory of the quality of infrastructures, starting with the roads, because even the smallest pothole can be a death trap, especially for two-wheeled travelers. My goal is to free up energy and resources, to prevent interventions (even simple ones) from being stifled by bureaucracy. More common sense, less slowness. The appeal to common sense is addressed to all, but also designed to avoid excessive carelessness in creating useless bike paths, which are safe: there are paths created with only a few brushstrokes on the asphalt. being able to say “there’s a dedicated bike lane” on busy roads, with no real protection for two-wheelers.
We study the issue of driver’s licenses, an effective tool to check the functioning of the points system, especially from the point of view of prevention. Unfortunately, citizens felt more in control and therefore obeyed the rules more.
The topic of road safety in schools ” Escaping the Wild West and fostering a sense of responsibility”
Together with the Minister of Education, Giuseppe Valditara, I started a series of thoughts to engage students in a new, functional and direct way. The goal is to bring traffic safety into the classroom by making it a relevant topic in everyday life. Consider scooters, which are especially popular with the little ones: it’s good to remember to follow certain rules to avoid the Wild West and increase your sense of responsibility. School is a key element to sensitize the new generations and also to avoid the many tragedies that affect young people. I don’t forget Luca Marengoni, whom the tram passed on the 14th while I was pedaling in Milan. We want to “prevent” without forgetting an honest “zero tolerance” for those who do not respect the rules. Together with Interior Minister Piantedosi, we want to strengthen roadside checks, with a special focus on the misuse of mobile phones. A text, a phone call, a look at social media: it doesn’t take much to ruin a life.
We all owe it to Davide, Lucas, Miriam and Francesco, whom we mourn every day.
Not forgetting the fight against alcohol abuse and drug addiction: these are of common interest and key objectives to make our streets safer. Another topic: those who revoke their license can only get it if there is reasonable assurance that they will not make the same mistakes. In this regard, I was very surprised that young Francesco Valdiserri was shot by a girl who was an alcoholic and a repeat offender. A bad movie that has been watched many times: another person, whose body was filled with drugs and many cocktails, killed 22-year-old Miriam Ciobanu in the province of Treviso: the victim was a pedestrian. Road safety should be brought up day by day, citizens should work hard in the name of respect for others, respect for rules, on two or four wheels, on foot, bicycle or car. All this boils down to a sentence that is only superficially clear: we must respect this precious good that is life. We all owe it to Davide, Lucas, Miriam and Francesco, whom we mourn every day. »
Matteo Salvini
