The Italian riders' association ACCPI has called for improved road safety after a number of riders have been hit by cars in recent weeks.

A feature in Wednesday's La Gazzetta dello Sport (opens in new tab) revealed that cycling deaths in Italy fell from 254 in 2017 to 209 in 2018, but 17,000 people were injured during that period, at a 2 billion euro social costs were identified.

"Taking to the roads is like going to war, but we are not going to put up with this carnage," said Italian national coach Davide Cassani. In recent weeks, Domenico Pozzovivo, Letizia Paternoster, Vittoria Busi, and junior rider Andrea Ostrani were run over by cars.

Dutch rider Ed Maas was seriously injured when he was hit by a car entering the under-23 Il Lombardia course, while Samuele Manfredi was hit by a car during training last December and is still in rehabilitation.

The ACCPI has been pushing for the introduction of a law introducing a minimum distance of 1.5 meters between vehicles. However, it has been bogged down in Congress. Marco Cavorso is the ACCPI's safety representative. He lost his son Tommaso in a car accident and has sent a letter to Italian President Sergio Mattarella demanding the law be passed. [Two years ago I told you about the modern war that is killing our children, a war that is being waged on the roads of Italy and around the world. It is a terrible war, one that kills those who cannot defend themselves. I call upon you to use your authority to accelerate the approval of the law."

Cavorso has collected thousands of signatures from people seeking to improve and approve the law. Cavorso wants drivers to have their driver's licenses suspended on the first offense if they are distracted by cell phone use and cause an accident.

Cassani called on cyclists to protect themselves by following the code of conduct. He suggested using lights when riding during the day, always wearing a helmet, respecting the highway code, and not using headphones. He called for more traffic safety education in schools.

He also called on riders to remain calm despite the dangers on the road.

"When a car honks its horn, I raise my arm to show that I heard them. [Getting angry doesn't solve anything. Accidents happen because they see us running in groups and hate us. Dialogue takes time and we need to be tolerant of each other. It will take time, but eventually they will learn that they too are running on the road."