Safety Interventions, Technologies and Tools

Paving and Draining Asphalt

Infrastructure maintenance is crucial to ensure customers can enjoy safe and comfortable travel. This is why Autostrade per l'Italia is constantly committed to guaranteeing operational efficiency and increasing safety standards on its complex and extensive network. Healthy paving is one the key elements for safety.

To date, about 100% of the network granted under concession is covered with draining asphalt, a covering developed to prevent wheels from getting into contact with water, with the exception of areas where this measure is deemed inappropriate (mountain roads, tunnels, road sections being widened).

High-frequency accident locations (PISM: Punti a Incidentalità Superiori alla Media)

To reduce the number of accidents at locations classified as PISM, i.e. road sections characterized by an above-average number of accidents, more than 2,000 specific interventions have been carried out over the years (230 in 2023), such as the installation of warning signs, light systems, special paving, etc.

Tunnel Safety

As part of its plan to comply with EU and national legislation, Autostrade per l'Italia has adopted additional measures in certain tunnels along its network to protect the safety of users and workers. These include, among the others, the introduction of specific speed limits, and minimum spacing between vehicles, indicated by special signs along the route.

Anti-crossing nets

Central anti-crossing nets have been installed on all viaducts with separate carriageways (around 300 km), which allowed eliminating accidental fatalities.

Fencing networks

To reduce accidents caused by the intrusion of animals onto the road, ASPI has continued its plan to upgrade fencing networks¹. In 2023, anti-intrusion networks were upgraded on approximately 340 km, reaching over 1400 km of coverage since 2019. In 2023, accidents caused by impacts with animals along the entire network dropped by around 25% compared to the average of the previous three years.

¹i.e. upgrading the anti-boar intrusion fences, replacing standard nets with wildlife nets and combinations of several interventions.

Rumble strips and special micro rumble strips (so-called microcumuli)

To reduce incursion/skid due to distraction or microsleep, systems like rumble strips and micro rumble strips were installed for about 231 km in 2023, covering more than 500 km.

Wrong way signage

Directional arrows are placed on the pavement of the network's 266 junctions at locations where drivers may confuse travel directions. At all motorway entrances (toll gates, service areas, car parks) there are also 1,000 deterrent signs with photometric and dimensional devices to prevent wrong-way entry.

Emergency pitch signage

Specific signs are installed on the network to prevent users from incorrectly using emergency pitches as lay-bys. For prolonged stops in the event of an emergency, customers are provided with road signs to identify the most suitable areas to park their vehicles.

Worksite signage upgrade

To improve traffic safety at motorway worksites and to reduce risks for operators, Autostrade per l'Italia has upgraded its worksite signage, supplementing the standards required by current regulations.

Crash cushions

Autostrade per l'Italia has introduced crash cushions (supplementary to current regulations) as additional protection for slow-moving work sites on transit lanes. There are currently 30 crash cushions in operation distributed over the entire network.

SOS Columns

Motorway users are never left alone: the traffic police and service staff are ready to intervene at any time thanks to the S.O.S. columns installed along the emergency lanes, approximately every two kilometres.

The SOS columns allow a mechanical and/or medical emergency call to be generated once the corresponding button is pressed.

The request, associated with the kilometre from which it was sent, is received by the competent local radio room (Radio Information Centre).

Thanks to GSM technology, the Radio Information Centre Operator contacts the user by speakerphone, both to collect information on the type of vehicle to be sent and, in the event of broken-down vehicle, on any preferences regarding the authorised party from which the mechanical rescue service is to be received. While waiting, stay close to the column: you will always be visible even in the event of fog, even at night as the column emits a flashing light that activates in the event of a call for health assistance.

Traffic Police

The Traffic Police ensures supervision with more than 70 patrols along the network at the same time, guarantees first aid to people together with Autostrade per l'Italia staff, to protect traffic safety.

INITIATIVES IN COOPERATION WITH THE TRAFFIC POLICE LAUNCHED IN 2023

In 2023, with the aim of minimising road accidents, Autostrade per l'Italia launched initiatives and awareness campaigns through events, training material and discussion sessions, in collaboration with the Traffic Police. Specifically:

• a communication campaign to promote responsible driving behaviour, for the first time under the High Patronage of the President of the Republic “Don't close your eyes. Road safety concerns you too”. It was broadcast on TV, radio, web, newspapers and in motorway service areas. The initiative was also promoted in Italian schools, located in the regions crossed by the motorway network, with the aim of reaching about 12,000 students in 200 secondary schools and making them protagonists of a zero-accident future, educating them on safety before, during and after driving;
• During the peak summer period, road safety awareness activities were held in a several Service Areas along the network, focusing on responsible driving behaviour, the use of seat belts by all passengers, the importance of a correct diet and a healthy sleeping pattern, as well as disincentives to impaired driving through simulated impaired driving activities, with the use of special visors;
• the twelfth edition of the “Safety Heroes” campaign on the occasion of the Giro d'Italia, to highlight the work of the agents and motorway officers who everyday guard the road network on the arterial roads along the country;
• the alcohol and drug test campaign, with 38 services by the Traffic Police in 2023 alone. In particular, through mobile second-level analysis laboratories for on-the-spot testing of driving under the influence of drugs. With the assistance of doctors and analysts, from a saliva sample, the instrumentation of the laboratory is able to return the result in a few minutes, enabling traffic police patrols to verify the violation on the spot;
• in April 2023, the first Safety Point was opened in the Casilina est service area (A1 Cassino), a place dedicated to disseminating and sharing road safety issues and promoting responsible driving behaviour;
• the activation of RTM (Remote Tachograph Monitoring) stations at the Rimini Sud and A1 Variante di Valico sites, which remotely intercept heavy vehicles potentially breaching traffic rules (tampered tachographs, failure to comply with driving times, ...) and support the Traffic Police during controls;
• the activation of a check point dedicated to Special Transports and Heavy Goods Vehicles at the Milano Est toll gate on the A4 motorway, equipped with lasers with 3D scanning and a static weighing system to identify the mass and volume of vehicles. A tool that allows the optimisation of checking procedures and the intervention of Traffic Police teams and patrols, thus reducing intervention times, further implementing the safety systems for travellers and hauliers;
• implementation of a snow emergency management plan in 2023 jointly with the traffic police, aimed at emphasising Autostrade per l'Italia's commitment in terms of manpower and means deployed to manage emergencies, as well as providing a series of useful tips when travelling on motorways in snowy conditions. A web area dedicated to winter operations is now active, with a vademecum containing safety tips for winter driving and details on the obligation to carry winter equipment on board.
• extension of the Tutor system for detecting average speed, with current coverage of approximately 1,600 km of the Autostrade per l'Italia network.

Mechanical Assistance

In the event of an accident or breakdown of your vehicle on the Autostrade per l'Italia network, you can use the following toll-free telephone numbers to request mechanical assistance, choosing one of the authorised organisations:

Autostrade per l'Italia authorises industry operators holding the mandatory legal requirements to provide the mechanical breakdown service. Such operators, based upon the authorisation granted, are expressly required, in the event of an accident or breakdown with a vehicle stationary on the carriageway or on the access or exit ramps or in the emergency lane, if less than 3 metres wide, to intervene within 20 minutes for light vehicles and 30 minutes for heavy vehicles.

Download maximum motorway mechanical assistance charges