According to data from the ASASP-SAPIDATA Cycling Observatory, the toll of cyclists victims of road accidents is already 103 since the beginning of 2026. In 2025 there were 222 victims. The latest news is that of Tuesday 7 July: a woman, the artist Laura Ghirardi, aged 67, died when she was hit by a tipper truck in Milan while she was traveling by bicycle. The fault, once again, lies with the vehicle’s blind spots: from 2023, by law, trucks, vans and buses (categories M2, N2, M3, N3) circulating in the Ztl Area B must be equipped with adequate acoustic, visual or tactile warning systems that alert the driver of the presence of pedestrians and cyclists in the front part of the vehicle and on the side of the pavement. It is yet to be ascertained why they did not contribute to avoiding the accident.
What happened
The heavy vehicle, driven by a 33-year-old man, hit the cyclist shortly before 1pm last Tuesday as the vehicle turned right at an intersection between via Gattamelata and via Colleoni, in Milan. The vehicle came from via Colleoni and was making a right turn to enter via Gattamelata, with a green light. It is not yet clear whether the cyclist was crossing the road along the pedestrian crossing or whether she was pedaling along Via Colleoni, flanked by the truck and the precise dynamics are yet to be ascertained, but according to the reconstructions of the local police on the spot, the truck hooked the bike, dragged it for 7 meters and ran over the woman.
Rescuers from the AREU (Regional Emergency Emergency Agency) intervened urgently on the spot with an ambulance and a medical vehicle, with which she was transported to the Niguarda hospital, but the woman’s condition was too serious due to the trauma of the impact she suffered. Laura Ghirardi died shortly after arriving at the hospital.
According to data from the ASASP-SAPIDATA Cycling Observatory, as of June 30, 2026, there were 102 cyclists who had died since January 1st, 85 men and 17 women, to which is added the victim of July 7th. In the lead is Lombardy with 24 deaths (now 25), followed by Emilia Romagna 19, Veneto with 16, Piedmont 12, Tuscany with 5 and Lazio and Campania with 4 deaths.
Why it happens: the role of blind spots
The dynamics according to which a vehicle, and in particular a heavy vehicle, hits a pedestrian or a cyclist while turning right is unfortunately typical in the city. This happens because all vehicles have blind spots, i.e. areas around the vehicles where, despite the mirrors, the driver has no visibility either directly or through the rear-view mirrors.
The blind spots of cars are large but narrower, while those of trucks and heavy vehicles are actually very large, especially on the right side.
We see it in this image, in which the blind spot is represented by the black portion of space: the driver of a truck does not see to the rear, does not see near the passenger compartment and in these two lateral segments the right one is wider because in Italy driving is on the left.
Stickers, signs and acoustic signals to warn
To warn road users of this danger, on many trucks you can see these stickers and signs that warn of blind spots for other vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists, but not only. There are sensors that can be attached to trucks – as there are in cars – that alert drivers to the presence of other road users with an acoustic and visual signal. In Milan, inside the ZTL Area B, blind spot sensors are mandatory from 2023 for trucks, buses and vans, as are the signs that signal the presence of these gray areas.
The authorities are trying to ascertain whether the sensors of the vehicle that hit the cyclist, present on the vehicle, were active or not, functioning regularly or silenced, whether the victim was in a point not covered by the sensors or whether there was distraction on the part of the driver.
