Last week my husband received a ticket from Italy for a traffic violation. The charge was entering a pedestrian-only zone in Rome during our trip in October 2014. We did have a rental car in Rome at that time, but we have no idea if this is a scam or something real. We no longer have any records of our car rental, so we don't even know whom to contact about the violation.
Should we pay by bank transfer as required or ignore the ticket?
Thank you.
Scam? I doubt it. It's one of several wonderful added bonuses of having a rental vehicle in a big city.
Chances are it is real. Did you get an unexpected charge from the rental car company on the credit card you used to rent it? That is normal, as they charge you for informing the authorities your mailing address. That would have been some months after your return.
It is not an unusual question at all, as it happens all the time. It is very difficult to navigate in a city like Rome without incurring a ticket for something---driving in a bus lane, driving in a pedestrian zone, driving in a "limited zone" where you need a special permit. They have traffic cameras to catch the violators, trace the driver through the rental car agency, and send you a ticket. The tough part is it is not cheap to send a bank transfer, but that is generally the only way to pay it.
"Unusual"? Rental car traffic violations seem to be a pretty common forum topic. Rick ought to have a FAQ on driving in Europe and he does:
https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/driving-europe-tips
Steer clear of big-city centers. Don’t use a car for city sightseeing.
Park your car and use public transportation or taxis.Cities across Europe have taken measures to discourage urban driving.
For example, to drive anywhere in downtown London or Stockholm, you’ll
pay a “congestion charge.” You’ll pay a toll to drive into Oslo and
Bergen — but because of their automated systems, you may not know it
until you get a bill two months later.Car traffic is banned altogether in many Italian city centers,
including Rome, Naples, Florence, Pisa, Lucca, Siena, San Gimignano,
Orvieto, and Verona. Don’t drive or park anywhere you see signs
reading Zona Traffico Limitato (ZTL, often shown above a red circle).
If you do, even briefly by accident, your license plate will be
photographed, usually without your knowledge, and a hefty ticket — or
tickets, if you did it multiple times — will be waiting for you at
home. If your hotel is within a restricted area, ask your hotelier to
register your car or direct you to legal parking.king.Assume that Big Brother is watching. In many countries, traffic is
monitored by automatic cameras that check car speed, click photos, and
send speeders tickets by mail. It’s smart to know — and follow — the
area speed limit.
You can contact the office that sent the mail, isn't it signed and written on headed paper?
There are a few ways to be sure it isn't a scam:
I got a ticket on the causeway going over to Venice for 1.2 mph over the posted speed limit of about 35 mph.
I had to go through a payment service online that wire transfers funds in Eurosdirectly to the city's checking account number. They take credit cards and the charges for their service were reasonable.
Actually, they give you a 5mph grace on speed limits so 1.2 was really 6.2.
This isn't a scam, you entered a pedestrian zone and a camera photographed your license plate. Then the authorities tracked down the plates and got your information from the rental company. How else would anyone know who was driving the car and what your address is? It happens all the time. Pay the fine quickly to avoid late fees.
Donna
If the speed limit is 50 km/h (31 mph), the autovelox machine fires the photograph at 55km/h because they are generally set to take the photo at 10% over the speed limit or 10km/h above, whichever is lower.
55 km/h is about 34mph.
...posted speed limit of about 35 mph.
For those of us use to driving in the USA where speed limits are posted in English units, the posted international unit speed limit psychological seem very lenient. If the speed limit is posted at 35 Km/h the limit in English units is just a bit over 20 mph, our school zone limit here in Oregun. Similarly a highway speed limit of 90 Km/h may seem like an invitation to go fast, but its really close to our 55 mph basic speed limit here in Oregun.
When in Rome....
The car I leased showed both KPH (analog) and MPH (digital) on the dash. I have no excuse for exceeding the speed limit. Which I'm sure I probably did.
Edgar,
I'm assuming your misspelling of your state name is intentional? If so that seems appropriate considering current events there.
