The ” Child Safety Report “, recently published by the European Transport Safety Council, estimates that over 8,000 children under the age of 14 have been victims of road accidents in Europe in the last 10 years: 50% in cars, 33% as pedestrians, and 13% as cyclists. The safest roads in the EU for children are in Norway, while Italy is amongst the top eight countries with the lowest child mortality rate, although in 2016 there were 49 under-14 fatalities on the roads.

The ETSC, of which the Italian Automobile Club is a member, counts Italy amongst the countries most committed to raising road safety standards, thanks to the good results achieved by the ‘Vision Zero’ programme, which includes the adoption of specific measures for children, such as improving visibility on the roads they use to get to school and back home, better use of seat belts, and encouraging adults to take more responsibility.

However, at a time when the European Union is developing its road safety strategy for the next decade, what solutions would enable us to do more to safeguard the lives of children on the road?

The ETSC believes it is essential to introduce measures to moderate speed in general and near schools in particular, and to promote the standard installation of smart technologies such as ISA (Intelligent Speed Assistant) or AEB (Automated Emergency Braking) in new-generation cars, which are as important for the safety of children as seatbelts and car seats. In this regard, the World Health Organisation states that the correct use of child booster seats guarantees an 80% chance of saving a life. Road safety always starts with a conscious choice.

Source: ANSA (Italian news agency),