Italy urban road fatalities high as study reveals 43% of deaths occur in cities

A new study of nine major European cities found that more than 73% of road accidents in Italy happen in urban areas, accounting for 43% of all traffic deaths. In 2024 there were 173,364 incidents on Italian roads, resulting in 3,030 fatalities and a social cost exceeding €18 billion, with over €11 billion linked to city crashes. Pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists made up more than 70% of urban victims. The research highlighted distraction, ignoring signs, excessive speed and insufficient following distance as primary causes, compounded by aging vehicle fleets (average age 13 years) and inadequate infrastructure. Technologies such as automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection can help, but broader urban planning, better road maintenance and renewed vehicle fleets are also needed.

Data released by Rome’s local police for January–June 2026 show a 25% drop in road‑traffic deaths to 48 victims compared with 63 in the same period of 2025, and a 26% decline in fatal collisions. Total accidents rose to 18,338, driven by more non‑injury crashes. Improvements at 16 re‑engineered intersections reduced overall accidents by 35% and injuries by 51%, with no deaths recorded there. The city’s Vision Zero program aims to cut deaths by 20% within three years and by half within ten.