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Speeding in Italy

Hi All,
We are off to Italy for a couple of weeks next Wednesday. We have rented a car and will be meandering from Venice to Naples, stopping in Bellagio, Cinqe Terre and Umbria. Someone recently told me that on the toll roads in Italy, if you reach the next toll to soon, they know you have been speeding and will issue a fine. The person telling me this was not clear on if it was on the spot or if somehow it is sent to you later. Does anyone know if this is true and if so how stringent they are about it? I realize the simple answer is to not speed, but the last time we were there the traffic all moved well above the limit.
Thanks in advance
Rob, Toronto Canada

Posted by
5697 posts

Also be aware that the rental company will charge a fee for providing the address of the renter to the police/ticketing agency -- another $20 or so for every ticket in addition to the healthy fine for speeding. (And if you used the per-trip Amex insurance, you will get an automatic charge for that -- but Amex will reverse the charge when notified.)

Posted by
500 posts

There was a time when average speed was checked comparing the entry time stamped on the ticket against the exit time. But you had to be speed up a lot to trigger the fine. Now there are frequent speed radars, and on some stretches - notably Milan to Bologna - the tutor system checks average speeds. I have observed that on "tutored" stretches overspeeding is quite rare.

Posted by
16893 posts

If you are driving the speed limit, you can identify speeders as all the drivers going faster than you. You don't need to match their speed to know :-)

Posted by
45 posts

Thanks Everyone for your replys. I guess I will just have to really watch it. Here in Ontario, the posted limit on big highways is 100km, but nobody does less than about 120, and most people 125 or 130. I will take it easy, and thanks for saving me money!

Posted by
23178 posts

Well, Dorothy, you are not in Kansas anymore.

The thing we really noticed in Italy last year between Florence and the airport in Rome was how orderly the traffic was in the interstate. Almost no one traveling in the left lane except when passing. And the very uniform speed of nearly everyone. There were a few cars weaving in and out of the right lane but not a lot of excess speed. A little unexpected given prior experiences and the reputation Italy drivers have. Now I know why.

PS It was a year ago May in and around Florence and wine country. Have been waiting for our Italian souvenirs to arrive but so far nothing. Guess we were lucky.

Posted by
32173 posts

Rob,

" Here in Ontario, the posted limit on big highways is 100km, but nobody does less than about 120, and most people 125 or 130."

The situation you describe is much the same here in B.C. (especially now that they've raised the speed limits on a number of highways). Of course neither province uses the "Tutor" system so people get away with pushing the limit.

Hopefully you've obtained the compulsory International Driver's Permit, and you'll have to be vigilant to avoid the dreaded ZTL areas in towns as well (especially in Florence). You won't be aware of tickets for ZTL violations until several months after you return home, when you'll start to see some new charges on your credit card.

Happy motoring!

Posted by
10344 posts

Speeding in Italy: don't do it.
Just carefully go the speed limit and look at the scenery.
It's not like here, they will catch you.
And your rental car company will charge your credit card for the hefty fine.

Posted by
15043 posts

The speed limit on the Italian toll motorways (autostrade) is 130km/h, unless posted otherwise on some more treacherous segments.
On the so called superstrade (super highways), which are toll free divided motorways with at least 2 lanes for each direction (for example the Raccordo Florence-Siena), the speed limit is generally 110km/h. However some of the same divided 4 lane super highways the speed limit may be only 90km/h (for example the Bettolle-Perugia or the Perugia-Cesena.
Two lane regular highways have generally a speed limit of 70km/h except where otherwise posted. For example a particularly curvy section of a two lane highway may have a speed limit of only 50km/h (for example sections of the. Via Chiantigiana (SR222).
Other times a two lane highway may have a speed limit of 90km/h in large straight section.
Inside built up areas (cities, towns and villages) the maximum speed is 50km/h (unless otherwise posted).
The autovelox system records the speed at a specific moment when you pass an autovelox machines. Some autovelox machines are placed at fixed locations and are unmanned and simply take a photo of your license plate if you pass next to them at a speed that is 10% above the speed limit. Others are mobile and carried by a patrol car. Most autovelox machines do not use radar technology, but rather laser technology therefore they cannot be detected by one of those radar detectors some people use in their cars.
The Speed Tutor system, as described by Quirite, calculates the average speed of all cars between two points based on the length of time a certain segment is traveled. It doesn't record the speed at the moment the picture is taken, but only the average. So hypothetically you could drive through the portals, where the photo is taken, at 300km/h, but if you lower your speed in the rest of the segment so that the average speed throughout the segment is lower than 130/h, there will be no fine issued.
The speed tutor portals are not located at the toll booths (which are on the motorway ramps), but rather they are mounted on poles along the motorway, as in the picture below:

http://www.autostradetech.it/tl_files/Schede/security-0001.jpg

Posted by
8094 posts

A year after my return, I received notice of a speeding ticket on the causeway going over to Venice--via unmanned camera. It was for less than 2 mph over the speed limit--pretty petty annie. Hertz charged my credit card for a $40 service fee for their telling the City of Venice who and where we are.

The ticket was about $155, and they demanded payment in Euros. I had to go through a payment transfer company in Italy to pay the City of Venice's checking account directly.

The great day in Venice was worth the $155. Just be aware that they are unreasonable on speeding tickets as many cities are out to maximize revenue generation. They're not such a problem out on the open highway.

Posted by
2455 posts

I myself try to avoid speed when in Italy. I find the vino, birra and gelato keep me high enough.

Posted by
10344 posts

Yes, as someone above mentioned: The art, history, and architecture in Italy will speed you up enough, you won't have to drive your car fast to feel good.

Posted by
32521 posts

Are the speed limits posted?

Not usually. Each country has national speed limits which residents are taught for their test and which visitors can find in tour books, on line, and on huge signs at national borders. Each country is different. Some motorway speeds are 70 mph, GB but not UK, some are 130 kph, like Germany, France, Luxembourg and Italy, some are 120 kph like Netherlands and Belgium and most of them have exceptions like the 110 kph in France when it is raining.

That's what's meant by the "National Speed Limit" or derestricted sign means.

Each country will have different speeds for urban, dual carriageway (divided highway) and rural single lanes.

You need to study the restrictions in each country, and the IDP laws.