The Italian Association of European Consumer Assistance (AIACE), a non-profit consumer protection organization, launched a new road safety app in June, 2021. It’s called BucApp, and the AIACE says that it’s dedicated to the protection of all road users in Italy.
If you’re a road user anywhere, you know how frustrating it is when the road surfaces you have to travel on aren’t properly maintained. Whether you encounter potholes, giant cracks, or more serious problems, they can cause inconvenience at best, and pose significant safety risks at worst.
Enter BucApp, which is available as a free download for both Android and iOS devices. The way it works is fairly simple. Take photos of the problem, make sure your GPS is active so the report is tagged with an accurate location of the problem, and submit a report to AIACE in the app. The organization will then put it into a database of all current known road problems, where it will be checked by AIACE staff.
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Once confirmed by AIACE staff, the road issue will then be communicated directly to the municipality or other authority in charge of road maintenance for that area. You can also use this app to report crashes caused by potholes or poor road maintenance, as well. According to AIACE, legal assistance will be available to road users in such cases.
Six out of ten Italians are at risk of a crash due to poor road maintenance, according to the AIACE. The more road users take proactive steps to report issues they see, at least in theory, the more quickly those issues can be addressed before they cause serious harm.
It all sounds good on paper, but how well the system will work remains to be seen. Since this is a new app, only time will tell if it ends up being as effective and helpful as it could be. Here’s hoping it improves both riding and driving on Italian roads, like everyone probably wants.