Road accidents still represent an emergency in the field of public health and result in both sanitary and economic consequences. Despite the decrease in the number of victims in 2020 –which has been mainly due to Covid-19 restrictions- makes Italy closer to European Union’s target (a decrease of -50% victims between 2010 and 2020), the social and economic costs of accidents still remain very high. In 2019, it has been estimated at around 16.9 billion euro, equal to 1% of national GDP. Driving is a complex activity that requires a significant mental commitment; the application of telematics to circulating vehicles plays a decisive role in terms of safety. Everything turns around time: the sooner an action is taken after an accident, the higher is the chance of saving lives or, at least, reducing the harm to subjects involved. A rapid rescue allows to proceed with greater probability of success to stabilize the patient and optimize the route from the accident area to the hospital. The reduction of road accidents and related damages inevitably passes through the application of technology, to create interaction among people, the environment and vehicles. The same satellite technology which helps rescuers to localize the exact position of a vehicle and relevant information, such as the number of occupants on board.
Marco Giustini – ISS (Higher Health Institute)