MISANO ADRIATICO – «Let's try to think together – says Gianluca Santilli at a certain point – and achieve something concrete. Road safety is not just about cyclists and pedestrians, but the thousands of people who die every year on Italian roads.Everyone makes mistakes, but vulnerable users pay dearly for them. We need to imagine that certain roads should be closed to bicycles, at least until someone guarantees their safety. Let's get out of here with a plan. If this is just another chatty meeting, it's the last time you'll see me.».
Ten years the same way
Italian Bike Festival The gates open in two hours. Last night the racetrack parking lot was like a town teeming with men and vehiclesStands to be filled, bicycles to be mounted on the displays. Meanwhile, on the terrace of the large central grandstand a conference on road safety brought together several people who are already very active on the national territory. People of substance, each in their own sector. The idea is to to form a single entity, composed of different actors, but bearing a single voiceAt least it's clear that fragmentation among the many players leads nowhere. Davide Cassani made this very clear.
«In ten years – said the Romagnola, president of Emilia Romagna Tourist Board The situation hasn't improved at all. Rudeness has increased, and I'm talking about cyclists and motorists alike.When I talk to kids, I always say that you have to think about what other people are doing. Just because you have the right of way doesn't mean you're safe."
Thirty deaths in August
The numbers are horrifying. The death toll as of August 31, 2025 is 155, 30 of which died in August alone.Giordano Biserni, president of ASAPS, the road safety portal, reiterates that little has been done, but emphasizes that the roads are not adequately patrolled by police forces. Lombardy leads the ranking of accidents, followed by Lazio, Emilia Romagna, Tuscany and Veneto. However, if we consider the ratio between the number of deaths and the number of residents, Lombardy falls to the bottom of the ominous ranking. Regions with a high cycling vocation also have a higher number of accidents.
«The meter and a half – says Paola Gianotti – is a step forward, a cultural achievement, to let people know that bicycles exist too. Municipalities are calling us to put up signs, and the arrival of bike lanes is another step forward. The goal would be to connect towns with these dedicated bike lanes."
Is the meter and a half necessary?
I don't agree with everything, you understand that when Santilli replies that in his opinion the 1.5 meter hasn't solved anything. And at that point... the word goes to Federico Balconi, the lawyer who invented Zerosbatti and has handled 1.500 accidents involving bicycles to date.
"There are loopholes in the law," he says, "and law enforcement doesn't always intervene when a bike falls over. If the accident is due to bad road conditions, no one movesThe legislation isn't adequate. It's unclear why cycling in two rows is prohibited in Italy. At least drivers are more aware of bikes and know they can't overtake them all at once.
Italy, echoes Massimo Gaspardo Moro of FIAB, is five times less safe than the NetherlandsBecause more cars circulate here than in other European countries. In Rome, 64 percent of mobility is made up of cars and motorcycles, while in Berlin the distribution is much more balanced.Bike lanes are useful, he adds, but there are no implementing decrees that provide for them and, above all, there is a lack of controls.
Schools and families
Road safety is a cultural problem, it's now evident. He emphasizes this. Bruno Di Palma, Director of the Emilia-Romagna Regional School Office. "In Italy, there are 7.500 schools," he says, "a lot of students and an average of two parents per student. And parents must be an example for their children. At the beginning of the school year, you sign the co-responsibility pact and it is not acceptable that something is taught in schools and then betrayed at homeWe signed a memorandum of understanding with the Regional Observatory on Road Safety and included it in civic education courses."
Culture, echoes him Marco Scarponi, secretary of the foundation named after his brother Michele. "It's hard to communicate," he says, "even to agree on the terms. The word accident is often usedBut when someone drives while using a cell phone, or goes 100 miles an hour on a 50-kph speed limit, and kills someone, is it an accident or violence? We need culture, communication, and enforcement. In front of our schools we have placed a traffic policeman who forces parents to slow down on the crosswalks».
Andrea Onori, representing driving schools, and Jolanda Ragosta of the Italian Cycling Federation also spoke about training, which generates culture.
Pella's Law
There is also a link the honorable Robert Pella, the president of the Cycling League, who is connecting from Rome where work is being done on the Budget LawHis words as mayor and member of parliament are a clear reminder of reality.
«Many of the things that have been said – he explains – clash with the implementation of the needs of the individual parties. At the end of July we presented a law that will bear my name, but not because I wrote itIt was written with the Prefects and the champions who collaborate with the League, from Gianni Bugno to Francesco Moser, Saronni and Nibali, Fondriest and Ballan. I wanted to collect their requestsA concrete proposal on safety that can be integrated with other regulations."
The Honourable Member's intervention is listened to and taken into account, even if someone notes with amazement that no one was aware of the intention to submit a billEveryone present would have gladly contributed. When at 18 pm, after three hours, everyone gets up from their chairs, the promise is to get back to them quickly. The stampede means that after three minutes there's no one left. They're all grown up and well-vaccinated. If it's just another meeting that leads nowhere, we'll know in a few months. We are at your disposal, because communication is one of the keys to success.Meanwhile, Our Lord of the road, keep a hand on the heads of your children who challenge the streets on bicycles every day.
