How many cyclists die every year in Italy?

The Asaps Observatory, Association of Friends and Supporters of the Traffic Policecollects a tragic fact: how many cyclists die every year in Italy. From January 1 to August 27, 125 cyclists died on Italian roads, a number to which must be added the name of Francesca Quaglia, 28, hit on August 29 by a truck in Milan. She was riding her bicycle in Viale Caldara, she was overwhelmed and dragged a few meters by a vehicle driven by a 54-year-old who is now under investigation for road homicide.

Francesca’s mother had heard from her a few hours earlier: «I thought she was in the library, she loved books, and instead two hours later her friends told me what had happened. Now I would like the funeral not to be celebrated because I can’t see her in a coffin, her so free and full of life closed there I can’t even imagine her. I speak only because these dramas of road deaths must end and something must be done.

In the month of August alone, there were more than 15 road fatalities among cyclists. This number is average: one victim every two days. «In January 10 deaths, in February 5, in March 7, in April 14, increase in May with 18, as many as 22 in June, record in July with 34. In August 15 deaths. Partial data because they don’t take into account the seriously injured who won’t make it to the hospital. 108 men and 17 women. 48 cyclists were over 65 years old. 9 cases of road piracy, with no less than two cases in July with the flight of the person who had caused the fatal accident. In July, a 98-year-old and four very young 15-year-olds, two 16-year-olds and an 18-year-old also died. In August another 16 year old ».

The data for the May-July 2023 quarter on how many cyclists die each year in Italy speak of 74 confirmed deaths, compared to 75 (ISTAT consolidated data) in the same quarter of 2019, i.e. before the pandemic. In 2023 there are 28 deaths in Lombardy18 in Emilia-Romagna, 12 in Veneto, 10 in Tuscany and Piedmont, 9 in Lazio and Campania.

Bicycle accidents happen every day. Last autumn two cases entered the news. A 14-year-old boy who went to school, at the Einstein high school in Milan, by bike died after being hit by a tram on line 16 in via Tito Livio, between the districts of Porta Romana and Calvairate, in Milan. On Monday 7 November a seven-year-old boy died in Cesena, hit by a bus after falling from the rear seat of his father’s bike. The bus driver could do nothing to avoid running over the little one.

In Milan alone, five died in similar circumstances with bicycles and heavy vehicles involved in 2023. On February 1, 38-year-old Veronica D’Incà was run over on the corner of Piazzale Loreto and Viale Brianza. On April 20, Cristina Scotland lost her life in front of the Sormani library, overwhelmed by a cement mixer. On 8 May a 55-year-old was hit by a lorry and killed in via Comasina. On 22 June in Piazza Durante a 60-year-old woman was hit by a cement mixer. Also on Wednesday 30th an accident in Corso XXII Marzo at the corner with Viale Piceno: a car lost control and hit a cyclist hospitalized in serious condition. Precisely for these accidents from October 1, heavy vehicles will be able to circulate in Area B only with blind spot sensors.

Istat says that for bicycles and electric scooters there are 229 victims in 2021: +30.1% compared to 2020 and -9.5% compared to 2019. «Among the most frequent incorrect driving behaviors are distraction, failure to respect the right of way and too high speed. The three groups make up a total of 39.7% of the cases (78,477), a stable value over time”. Cyclists are among the most vulnerable users, accounting for 50.9% of road deaths.