The problem

Achieving the European Union’s ambitious Vision Zero targets for 2030 and 2050 requires not only safer roads and vehicles, but also stronger institutional capacity, harmonised data collection, and consistent implementation of road safety policies across Member States.

Although Italy has made significant progress in reducing road casualties, important challenges remain in the collection of reliable road safety data, the harmonised monitoring of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), the assessment of road infrastructure safety, and the effective enforcement of traffic rules. These challenges are further complicated by the need to align national practices with evolving European legislation, including the revised Driving Licence Directive, the Cross-Border Enforcement (CBE) Directive, and the and the Road Infrastructure Safety Management Directive (2008/96/EC, as amended by Directive EU 2019/1936).

Addressing these issues requires coordinated technical support capable of improving data quality, strengthening institutional cooperation, enhancing road infrastructure assessment methodologies, and supporting evidence-based policymaking at both national and European levels.

Our approach

IT-TARS provides technical assistance to Italy under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Programme, supporting the implementation of European road safety objectives through scientific methodologies, data-driven analysis, and institutional capacity building. The project assists national authorities in strengthening cross-border cooperation for road traffic enforcement, improving the exchange of information through the European RESPER network, and supporting the implementation of the revised Cross-Border Enforcement Directive through technical guidance, training activities, and knowledge sharing.

A major component of the project focuses on the collection, harmonisation, and analysis of Road Safety Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), building on the methodological framework developed under the EU Trendline project, and enabling Italy to contribute to a common European monitoring framework covering critical behavioural and infrastructure-related safety indicators, including speed, seat belt use, helmet wearing, distraction, impaired driving, and vehicle safety. As part of this effort, the project also supports the functioning of a technical secretariat responsible for coordinating and managing national KPIs from an EU-wide perspective, including data reporting templates, methodological guidelines, and communication activities.

IT-TARS also supports the implementation of the Network-Wide Road Safety Assessment (NWRSA) methodology across approximately 5,000 km of the Italian road network, helping identify infrastructure-related risks through systematic data collection, digital road inventory, and risk classification. In parallel, the project contributes to the development of innovative methodologies for assessing road safety in urban environments, supporting future European standards for safer infrastructure management.

The project works to:

• Strengthen the implementation of EU road safety legislation in Italy
• Improve the collection and harmonisation of road safety data
• Support evidence-based road safety policies through reliable KPIs
• Enhance road infrastructure safety assessment using standardised European methodologies
• Foster knowledge exchange, capacity building, and cross-border cooperation among road safety authorities.

Partners

Sapienza University of Rome, ANSFISA (National Agency for the Safety of Railways, Road and Motorway Infrastructure), University of Naples Federico II