During 2020, the operational activity of the traffic police - both relating to the detection of road accidents and the execution of special services - inevitably suffered from the health emergency linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In fact, on the one hand, the accident phenomenon has led to a reduction in values as a natural consequence of the bans progressively imposed also on the mobility of people and vehicles. On the other hand, in conjunction with the validity of the aforementioned prohibitions, all special services were temporarily suspended, resumed last June 2020, while the patrols of the Traffic Police were used to ensure maximum contribution to the activities arranged by the provincial authorities of public safety for the implementation of extraordinary measures to contain the spread of COVID-19.
These checks are continuing, with the coordination of the provincial public safety authorities, above all to verify the legitimacy of the movements in light of the most recent regulations that governed the measures to contain the pandemic during the Christmas holidays.
Checks on compliance with containment measures
Since the establishment of the first "red zones", the Traffic Police has made the utmost effort in monitoring compliance with the mobility prohibitions, implementing - within the context of specific operational devices defined by the provincial public safety authorities and especially along the road network motorway - checkpoints for verifying, in relation to all users, the existence of exceptional situations that legitimized travel pursuant to emergency regulations.
As of December 27, 2020, the Traffic Police carried out 1.439.339 checks of people, almost equally divided between motorway and ordinary roads. There were 150.793 administrative checks at the service areas. The persons sanctioned as a whole pursuant to art. 4 c. 1 of the DL n. 19/2020 were 19.141.
Accident activity
In the period 1 January - 27 December 2020, as anticipated in the introduction, there was a drastic reduction in the accident phenomenon detected by the Traffic Police and Arma dei Carabinieri, compared to the same period in 2019. In particular, in the face of a decrease in the overall accident rate by 30,5% (51.103 accidents compared to 73.496 in 2019), fatal accidents (1.079) and fatalities (1.158) decreased respectively by 26,9% and 28,3% while accidents with injuries (20.676) and injuries (29.858) decreased by 34,6% and 38,3% respectively.
The data of the Traffic Police and Arma dei Carabinieri, compared with the preliminary estimate of the accident phenomenon that ISTAT recently released for the first 9 months of the year, show a trend in the accident rate coinciding in the trend, although obviously different in the values numeric. In fact, a decrease - detected by ISTAT - in road accidents with injuries to people, victims and injured, respectively, of 29,5%, 26,3% and 32,0%, corresponds to a reduction, referred to the same period, recorded by the Traffic Police and the Carabinieri by 30,4%, 28,3% and 36,2%.
Control activity
From 1 January to 27 December 2020, the Traffic Police carried out 479.897 road surveillance patrols and contested 1.596.686 infringements of the CdS The violations ascertained for speeding were 560.264, 25.368 driving licenses and 34.223 registration papers withdrawn. The driving license points reduced are 2.498.401.
621.809 controlled drivers with breathalysers and precursors, of which 8.744 were sanctioned for driving under the influence of alcohol, while 850 were reported for driving under the influence of drugs.
Saturday night massacres
From the beginning of the year to last December 20 (latest data available), on weekend nights (from 00,00 to 06,00 on Saturday and Sunday), the Traffic Police employed 7.400 patrols in the checkpoints, noting 29 fatal accidents which caused 30 victims (33 fewer than last year). The drivers tested with breathalyzers and precursors were 37.697, 5% of which (equal to 1.871, of which 1.603 men and 268 women) tested positive for the BAC test (in 2019 the percentage was 5,6 %). On the other hand, 48 people were reported for driving under the influence of drugs. Vehicles seized for confiscation 36.
Average speed control
The sections controlled by the Traffic Police, with the automatic detection system of the average speed of the “Tutor” vehicles, in 2020 were 109, for a total of approximately 1.060 km. With the entry into operation, from 21 December 2020, of 25 new sites,
the controlled sections rise to 134, for a length of approximately 1.400 km of motorway lanes supervised with these systems.
In the period from January 1, 2020 to November 30, 2020, the Tutor made it possible to ascertain 263.429 speed limit violations, while overall the speeding violations ascertained by the Specialty amounted to 533.595.
Controls in the professional transport sector
During 2020, the Traffic Police continued to boost control services in the professional transport sector. The data (as of 30 November 2020) are:
- Services performed: 306;
- Police officers employed: 1.696; MIT operators: 907;
- Heavy vehicles controlled: 3.286, of which 812 (equal to 24,7%) foreigners;
- Infringements ascertained: 3.090; driving licenses withdrawn: 26; registration papers withdrawn: 75.
Special control devices
Since the beginning of the year, the Traffic Police, in addition to the services scheduled monthly at the regional level, have combined specific devices planned at national level in the following sectors:
- safety belts and restraint systems;
- mandatory insurance;
- correct use of radios and telephones while driving vehicles;
- transport of dangerous goods;
- exceptional transport;
- national and international road transport of people;
- transport of live animals;
- transport of foodstuffs;
- tire efficiency status.
Judicial Police
466 were arrested while 15.136 were deferred to the AG.
During the year 347,005 kg of various substances were seized with the consequent arrest of 112 people.
In relation to the crimes against road hauliers (so-called CARGO CRIME) detected by the departments, 9 people were arrested and 44 referred to the AG However, there are various investigative activities on the specific subject, in progress or just concluded, with requests to the competent AG for measures restrictive of personal freedom.
The phenomena of petty crime in the service areas (theft / robbery of users and theft / robbery of commercial establishments) which decreased by 49,94%, (which is certainly attributable to the decreased mobility introduced by the anti COVID 19 regulations), were 423 and resulted in 11 arrests and 423 referrals to the AG.
The investigative activity mainly aimed at combating criminal phenomena related to the illicit traffic of vehicles led to 27 arrests and 279 referrals to the AG Following these activities, 137 vehicles subject to laundering were in any case seized and a further 466 were identified. , which are currently to be researched.
Controls at public businesses totaled 1.927, with 1.413 offenses detected.
Prevention and information campaigns
During the year, the Traffic Police carried out numerous prevention and information campaigns on road safety, some of which were remodeled into webinar mode due to the health emergency still in progress. Among the most important campaigns:
"ICARUS"- now in its 20th edition - in collaboration with the Department of Psychology of the" Sapienza "University of Rome, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Education, University and Research, Moige and other partners , the road safety campaign provides for direct training to primary and secondary school students in all Italian provinces on the processes aimed at creating or strengthening correct driving behavior and conscious mobility.
"CHIRONE - ON THE SIDE OF THE VICTIMS"- in collaboration with the LA SAPIENZA University of Rome-Department of Psychology and the ANIA Foundation, the initiative is aimed at police operators, often called upon to manage traumatic events such as fatal road or rail accidents, providing them with support and training.
"ON THE RIGHT ROAD TOGETHER WITH CHIRÒ"- During the year, the Traffic Police virtually entertained the youngest, who remained at home due to the restrictions imposed due to the health emergency, by publishing games, thematic quizzes, including interactive ones, and videos on the conduct on the institutional website of the State Police to keep and the rules to observe when on the street, both as pedestrians and as bike drivers etc.
"WINTER IN SAFETY AND SAFE HOLIDAYS”- the campaigns, in collaboration between the State Police, Assogomma and Federpneus, focus on the correct equipment and efficiency of tires during the winter and summer. Targeted control services are carried out in various Italian provinces, aimed at raising awareness among users of the correct use and maintenance of tires.
"THE ABC AUTOSTRADA DEL BRENNERO IN THE CITY”- the project, launched in 2014, sees the traffic police and the Brenner motorway as protagonists together to raise awareness and spread the culture of prudence among the very young.
"BIKE SCHOOL”- in collaboration with the organization of the Giro d'Italia RCS - La Gazzetta dello Sposrt, with the aim of making primary school children throughout Italy aware of respect for the environment and the rules of safety and road education.
"CHILDREN IN CAR”- in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Infrastructure and Transport and the main Paediatricians' Associations, with the aim of making parents aware of the importance of using restraint systems for the safety of children in cars.
"#ARE YOU SURE”- in collaboration with Autostrade per l'Italia SpA, with the aim of making motorists aware of the risks deriving from incorrect driving behavior. The information campaign included the projection of audiovisual spots dedicated to the themes of distraction, alcohol abuse while driving, speed and non-use of seat belts broadcast on all national radio and TV channels, in national newspapers and periodicals. and in over 2.000 underground and railway stations as well as on social networks, reaching over a million followers.
"ROAD SAFETY CENTER OF EXCELLENCE"- work on the topic of prevention to reduce accidents and on awareness of road risk: this is the objective on which the State Police, Sapienza University of Rome, ASL Roma 1 and the ANIA Foundation converge, united in a joint task force to systematize experiences and data and to derive a predictive model of behaviors and risk profiles, which can reduce the number of road accidents.
"EDUSTRADA PROJECT"- since 2017 the Traffic Police has been a partner of MIUR in the Edustrada project within which the online platform of the same name (www.edustrada.it) was created, in agreement with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport - General Management for Road Safety, the Department of Psychology of the “Sapienza” University of Rome, the ANIA Foundation and other partners. The initiative aims to develop the planning, identification and implementation of joint projects and initiatives, aimed at spreading the culture of road safety, prevention, and aimed at promoting correct lifestyles in schools.
"DRIVE AND STOP”- the initiative in collaboration with ANAS SpA led to the creation of commercials with the aim of illustrating the negative effects of distraction while driving, in particular that deriving from the incorrect use of smartphones. A free APP has been created, which disables the smartphone to receive calls and sms when in "guide" mode.