“Do not destroy life through imprudence”. One of the most touching passages of the year-end message of the President Mattarella it was the one dedicated to young people, who are increasingly victims of fatal road accidents. A theme that has come under the spotlight in recent months also for some particularly dramatic news episodes. But what is the latest data on bloody events on the roads?
The last one Aci-Istat report, referring to the first half of 2022, describes a worsening situation compared to the previous year. Of course it is the effect of a recovery in mobility compared to the darkest periods of the pandemic. In the period January-June 2022, however, there were 81,437 road accidents with injuries to persons with an increase equal to 24.7 percent. The injured They were 108.996 (+25,7 percent) and the dead 1,450 (+15.3%).
The increase is even more marked than in the first semester of 2020when the closures were even stricter: accidents +64.3 per cent, injured + 63, victims +43.2.
If instead we compare the situation of 2022 with the first half of 2019 (i.e. a pre-Covid period) we note that the results are encouraging: -2.6% of accidents, -6.8 of injuries, -5.5% of deaths. Confirming a positive long-term trend. A comforting trend which, however, does not concern young people.
Let’s go into detail with the data for 2021. In absolute terms, the highest number of victims is recorded in the bands 45-59 years and 20-24 years for men, between 70 and 84 years old and 20-24 years old for women. The younger ones, however, recorded the largest increase compared to 2020: the growth is 41.7% among 15-19 year olds he was born in 34.9% for that 25-29follow eat 40-49 (+31.5%)
Certainly not only an Italian phenomenon. Today in the European Union road accidents in the age group 18-24 years old cause the death of the driver or the passenger next to him in 64% of cases, compared to 44% in the overall population.