2,000 Young Killed in Italian "Saturday-Night Massacres"

More than 2,000 Italian young people have lost their lives in Saturday-night car crashes on the way to or from discotheques over the last five years, according to official data released Sunday.

The Italian transport ministry said that 2,031 young people have been killed and 53,807 injured between 10 o'clock on Saturday nights and 6 o'clock on Sunday mornings in the last five years.

On average, the so-called Saturday night massacres leave 10 people dead and around 350 injured each week.

The main causes of accidents have been risky overtaking and failure to give right of way, as well as driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, the ministry said.






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