Italy's tunnels most dangerous in Europe: Report

Rome, March 30 (Xinhua) Italy's tunnels are the most dangerous in Europe, a report released Monday said.

According to the report by Automobile Club ACI and roads agency ANAS, the result of controls run on 22 Italian tunnels so far showed a 'critical scenario', only one of three met safety standards, compared to eight out of 10 in the rest of Europe.

The report said 78 percent of Italian tunnels are hazardous compared to 36 percent in other European countries.

Lack of security in the tunnels is mainly attributable to inefficient fire and ventilation systems, badly identified escape tunnels, poorly managed traffic flows, missing traffic lights and ineffective management in case of emergencies.

ACI and ANAS urged the authorities to launch a programme to monitor the state of Italian roads and highways in a bid to better earmark funds for maintenance and investement.