From April 2027, Italy will apply new requirements to crash barriers on selected road sections carrying 70 km/h speed limits. The framework covers both new and existing barriers and introduces DSM, a motorcycle protection system fitted beneath the main guardrail section.

The system will be considered across four broad categories of location: tight bends with defined radius characteristics, dangerous descents, marked sections of extra-urban and urban roads, and routes judged more likely to see serious crashes. Italy’s Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport outlined the rules on September 11, 2026. The text was published on October 19 and replaces the 2019 regulations on motorcyclist road safety.

What the barrier change is meant to do

DSM adds a protective strip below the main barrier section. Its purpose is to limit a rider’s direct contact with posts, anchors and other rigid guardrail hardware, redirecting the body during an impact and reducing the likelihood of a direct collision with those components. Existing installations will need technical reconstruction where required, with the solution adapted to the route and its applicable safety requirements.

The obligations sit with road owners, designers and the companies operating or managing the barrier systems. Riders will not be required to buy new equipment or alter their motorcycles. DSM will not be compulsory on every road either. Before a system is installed at a particular location, a technical assessment can weigh traffic levels, operating speed, road geometry, conditions at the road edge and any alternative safety measures.