Why Are Our Roads Still Killing Us? The Crisis We Ignore

I want you to picture something: the sound of tyres screeching, the sickening crunch of metal, the silence that follows. It’s a scene that plays out on streets from Milan to Palermo, from bustling city centres to sleepy rural roads. And yet, somehow, we treat road deaths as if they’re just the price of modern life—inevitable, unremarkable, almost invisible. But I’m here to tell you: this is a lie we can’t afford to keep telling ourselves.

Let’s start by smashing three myths that keep us stuck in this deadly cycle. First, that road accidents are just “bad luck”—as if physics, infrastructure, and human choices don’t matter. Second, that Milan is uniquely dangerous, when in reality, the carnage is everywhere. Third, that more rules and harsher penalties alone will fix the problem. These ideas aren’t just wrong—they’re actively killing us.

The Numbers Are a Wake-Up Call—If We’re Brave Enough to Listen

I’ve pored over the latest data, and the story it tells is brutal. In 2024, Italy saw a rise in reported crimes, but what’s rarely discussed is that road deaths and injuries remain stubbornly high, year after year. Milan, often painted as Italy’s “Gotham City” for its crime rates, is also a hotspot for traffic accidents. But here’s the kicker: the same sense of insecurity that keeps people off the streets at night is mirrored by a real, measurable danger every time we step off the curb or get behind the wheel.

It’s not just perception. The Censis report shows that 75.8% of Italians feel less safe on the streets than five years ago, and nearly 40% have stopped going out at night for fear of what might happen. But while we wring our hands over muggings and thefts, we ignore the far more common—and often more devastating—reality of road violence. Every year, thousands are killed or maimed in crashes that could have been prevented. Where’s the outrage? Where’s the action?

The Real Causes: Not Fate, But Failure

Let’s get real: road deaths aren’t random. They’re the result of choices—by drivers, by city planners, by politicians who look the other way. Speeding, distracted driving, drunk driving, poorly designed intersections, lack of safe crossings, and a culture that treats pedestrians and cyclists as afterthoughts. These aren’t acts of God. They’re acts of neglect.

I’ve walked the streets of Milan at night, dodging cars that treat zebra crossings as suggestions, not obligations. I’ve seen parents clutching their children’s hands, eyes darting nervously as they cross six lanes of traffic. I’ve cycled through intersections where the paint on the bike lane is faded to nothing, and the only thing protecting you is luck. This isn’t just a Milan problem. It’s Rome, Naples, Florence, Bari—everywhere.

The Human Cost: More Than Just Numbers

Behind every statistic is a shattered family, a life cut short, a future stolen. We talk about crime as if it’s the only threat to our safety, but the truth is, you’re far more likely to be killed or injured by a car than by a mugger. Yet we accept this as normal. Why? Because we’ve been conditioned to see road deaths as accidents—unavoidable, blameless, tragic but not criminal.

But let’s be honest: if a stranger pointed a loaded gun at a crowd and pulled the trigger, we’d call it murder. When a driver speeds through a red light and kills a pedestrian, we call it an accident. This double standard is not just illogical—it’s immoral.

The Political Paralysis: Why Nothing Changes

Here’s the part that makes my blood boil. We know what works. Lower speed limits, better street lighting, protected bike lanes, stricter enforcement of drunk driving laws, public campaigns that actually change behaviour. Cities across Europe have slashed road deaths with these measures. But in Italy, progress is glacial. Why? Because politicians fear backlash from drivers more than they care about saving lives. Because car culture is sacred, and challenging it is political suicide.

Meanwhile, the media fixates on sensational crimes, fuelling a sense of insecurity that distracts us from the real, everyday dangers. We demand more police, more surveillance, more punishment—anything but the hard, unglamorous work of redesigning our streets and changing our habits.

The Way Forward: Enough Excuses

It’s time to stop treating road deaths as collateral damage. It’s time to demand streets that are safe for everyone—not just for those in cars, but for children, the elderly, cyclists, and anyone who dares to walk. That means rethinking everything: how we design intersections, how we enforce speed limits, how we educate drivers, how we prioritise public transport and active mobility.

We need to stop blaming victims and start holding decision-makers accountable. We need to stop accepting “accidents” as fate and start calling them what they are: preventable tragedies.

The Conversation We Need

So, I’m asking you—yes, you reading this on your phone or laptop, maybe on a train, maybe thinking about your own commute—how many more lives are we willing to sacrifice before we say enough? How many more headlines, how many more vigils, how many more empty chairs at family tables?

This isn’t just a Milan problem. It’s a national disgrace. And it’s time we faced it with the urgency and honesty it deserves.