Bologna is Italy’s first major city with a 30 km/h limit At least 13 dead in extreme heatwave in southern United States

Bologna is the first major Italian city to introduce a speed limit of 30 kilometers per hour on city streets, excluding highways, from Saturday. The aim is to reduce the number of road fatalities to zero.

Following the example of other major European cities, the new speed limit was lowered. However, fines will not be imposed until 2024.

The city council is allocating 24 million euros for signage and improvement of the sidewalks. “In Bologna, we will drive a little slower and be safer,” Bologna mayor Matteo Lepore wrote in a letter to the city.

“Among the encounters that impressed me were meetings with the parents and relatives of some very young road victims. I have promised to immediately do my utmost to bring this tragedy to an end.”

According to Lepore, 22 people died in Bologna in 2022 and 13 in 2023 – a significant increase compared to the time before the pandemic.

«Remember that road accidents are the number one cause of death in Italy among young people under 50. 73% of these accidents occur in urban areas. The three most common causes are speeding, ignoring the right of way at crosswalks and distracted driving. Speed ​​always plays a role: either as a direct cause or as an aggravating factor in other violations,” said the mayor. (sda/apa)