Italy Speeding Ticket - It finally happened!

[Drake3287]

Long story short, I've been vacationing in Italy for years with a rental car. In all those trips I've always known Italy (and Europe as a whole) has a ton of radar camera's through-out the countryside. Because of this I've always driven like an old lady just so I don't receive the dreaded Italy speeding ticket in the mail months later.

Can't tell you how many times I've had locals pass me up honking simply because I was going the speed limit. Me, I'm 65 and have never had an accident or ticket in my entire life. Something most people can't say.

Sure enough I just received an email from Hertz Italy telling me that my vehicle has received a speeding ticket for 2 km over the speed limit! That's like 1.3 MPH over the limit.

Apparently it happened on the autostrada as I was returning the car to the Florence Airport location. Besides this still unknown ticket amount I'm also expected to be billed an administration fee from Hertz for processing my info to the police.

Apparently driving like an old lady isn't enough anymore! Don't get stuck behind me next year, I'll be the one driving well below the speed limit driving everyone crazy.

 

[Sunset]

That is INSANE...

I wonder if the wind could have shaken the camera enough to add 1.3 miles , or a leaf blew in front and the speed of that was recorded.

 

[flyingaway]

I was driving in Bologna a few years ago and probably entered some place that is restricted to locals. Almost one year after I returned, I received a mail with a photo and asking me to pay a fine of more than 80 euros. I had to ask my bank to do a transfer, costed me probably more than $100.

Interestingly, they got a wrong address with a different state, I was amazed that the mail was delivered to my house almost a year later.

I probably got other tickets because the rental company kept charging my credit card and I had to ask the credit card company to reverse the charges because they did not tell me what were the charges.

 

[tulak]

I received a ticket from driving in a restricted zone in Florence. Sixt billed me a month or so later for the administration fee. It took a many months after that before I received the bill from Florence. It was around 80 Euros and I was able to pay it online.

They will always find you!

 

[SecondAttempt]

And my memory of driving in Italy is stopping at a red light in Milan with a cop behind me. There was no cross traffic and he began honking and waving his hands furiously at me. Finally I ran the red light and the cop flew around me afterwards. Nope, no lights or sirens at all!

 

[NgineER]

I like to use the Waze app for directions when in Europe, it lets you know well in advance of speed cameras so that you can slow down accordingly. 2km/hour over the limit - that is just ridiculous!

 

[ClarkeK]

We rented a car in Italy for a week in September 2022. My first ticket came via Avis in January, paid it. My 2nd ticket came in April, paid it. My 3rd just hit last month, an entire year later, I'm not paying it. I'm drawing the line.

The first two were for speeding and, like OP, I barely went above the limit, if at all. We were very mindful. The 3rd was for driving through a restricted area. I was very careful to only drive where allowed.

 

[brett]

I anticipated a ticket from an LTZ zone in Assisi for at least 12 months. It never came. Fortunately.

When we drove in Tuscany we were careful to try and stay behind cars that looked like they belonged to locals.

Once in a while they would suddenly slow down for a few minutes, then speed up. A local told me it was because the got to know which cameras worked. Apparently many do not.

 

[rodi]

We've gotten two tickets in Italy. One we were pulled over and it was for a late lane change when we were driving to Pisa. We didn't realize our exit was there until late and had to merge into the exit traffic. We paid that one right away because we knew we were guilty. The other one was 4 years ago in puglia for speeding. We were notified by the car rental company. My husband was driving so I didn't have to hear him lecture me. We paid it. Actually, both times my husband was driving.

 

[brett]

The opposite to Turkey where we have been pulled over twice.

Once for mistakenly blowing through a stop sign. The other time for speeding.

Both times....incredibly friendly officers. Warnings (verbal), then asking where were going, where we had been. And told to enjoy our time in Turkey. Which we did!

 

[marko]

A bit off thread but:
A French employee got a speeding ticket here in the US. In typical French fashion, he threw the ticket out the window as soon as the cop was out of sight.

On his next trip back to the US a few years later, he was denied entry. They said it was due to an unpaid court issue. I'm not sure how homeland security got involved in a speeding ticket-- I suspect the thing escalated over the years--but I was the one who had to approve the expense of his immediate trip back home.

 

[easysurfer]

I assume OP got nabbed by a traffic camera?

These kind of stories makes me want to give up driving. But of course that's wouldn't work as sometimes just need to drive a car.

I haven't driven out of the states but have been ticketed $100 by a camera for turning on red where the signs and road baited me to turn.

 

[2017ish]

Our worst experience was in Colombia, heading back to Cartagena in 2021. Got caught in a speed trap with several others--apparently "locals." The fine had to be paid immediately in Colombian cash. Unfortunately, we had just barely enough money to pay the one more toll remaining before Cartagena and in our barely up to broken spanish had to negotiate the "fine" down with the traffic officer....

 

[braumeister]

I haven't driven out of the states

If you ever do, you'll find that traffic cameras are ubiquitous in Europe. Many GPS systems will warn you of upcoming cameras, but they do get moved around periodically so that's not a foolproof solution.

My personal feeling is that since I'm less comfortable on European roads I want to stay safe so I scrupulously obey all the laws and drive very conservatively compared to my normal style. Having driven in many countries over there without incident I think I'm doing the right thing.

 

[Walt34]

A bit off thread but:
A French employee got a speeding ticket here in the US. In typical French fashion, he threw the ticket out the window as soon as the cop was out of sight.

On his next trip back to the US a few years later, he was denied entry. They said it was due to an unpaid court issue. I'm not sure how homeland security got involved in a speeding ticket-- I suspect the thing escalated over the years--but I was the one who had to approve the expense of his immediate trip back home.

Probably what happened is that not hearing anything, the court eventually issued a bench warrant for his arrest. That then goes into a national database. Many states do that. MD used to, and back in the '70's they'd even issue an arrest warrant for unpaid parking tickets. And yes, you could in fact go to jail for a short time for not paying parking tickets.

 

[Drake3287]

I received a ticket from driving in a restricted zone in Florence. Sixt billed me a month or so later for the administration fee. It took a many months after that before I received the bill from Florence. It was around 80 Euros and I was able to pay it online.

They will always find you!

I was wondering how long it would take them to actually mail me the ticket, interesting that it took you months. I'm half worried that the ticket gets lost getting to me then when I go to Italy next time I'll be in for a nasty surprise. I'm guessing the Hertz service charge will be as much as the ticket itself.

 

[Drake3287]

If you ever do, you'll find that traffic cameras are ubiquitous in Europe. Many GPS systems will warn you of upcoming cameras, but they do get moved around periodically so that's not a foolproof solution.

My personal feeling is that since I'm less comfortable on European roads I want to stay safe so I scrupulously obey all the laws and drive very conservatively compared to my normal style. Having driven in many countries over there without incident I think I'm doing the right thing.

Totally agree.

 

[aaronc879]

If you ever do, you'll find that traffic cameras are ubiquitous in Europe. Many GPS systems will warn you of upcoming cameras, but they do get moved around periodically so that's not a foolproof solution.

My personal feeling is that since I'm less comfortable on European roads I want to stay safe so I scrupulously obey all the laws and drive very conservatively compared to my normal style. Having driven in many countries over there without incident I think I'm doing the right thing.

I wish they would do that in the US. Maybe it would stop most of the crazy speeders.

 

[Puravida1]

I also drive at the speed limit in italy which is much slower than many locals.

Last time I was there a car zoomed up right behind me on a single lane road. I could see the driver in my rear view mirror and he looked very angry and was waving both fists in the air. But I kept the limit and after a few km the road widened to 2 lanes. I pulled over to the right lane and waited for him to pass, but instead he pulled in right behind me and continued to wave his fists at me and shout. What a jerk!

To get away from him I changed laned to the fast lane and slowed so I could drop in behind him. But he continued to wavee his fists and shout. Then I realized what was happening.

He was on the phone.

 

[2017ish]

I also drive at the speed limit in italy which is much slower than many locals.

Last time I was there a car zoomed up right behind me on a single lane road. I could see the driver in my rear view mirror and he looked very angry and was waving both fists in the air. But I kept the limit and after a few km the road widened to 2 lanes. I pulled over to the right lane and waited for him to pass, but instead he pulled in right behind me and continued to wave his fists at me and shout. What a jerk!

To get away from him I changed laned to the fast lane and slowed so I could drop in behind him. But he continued to wavee his fists and shout. Then I realized what was happening.

He was on the phone.

Excellent!

 

[Christine]

In France it's illegal to have a device alerting you of speed cameras. Confiscation and a fine.


I have seen speed cameras flash at me in Sweden and Germany - but never heard anything. This was years ago now.

 

[braumeister]

In France it's illegal to have a device alerting you of speed cameras. Confiscation and a fine.

I have seen speed cameras flash at me in Sweden and Germany - but never heard anything. This was years ago now.

IDK if it's still the case, but when I lived in Virginia they had a law against the ownership of radar detectors.

I have also had speed cameras flash at me in England, but never heard anything afterward.

 

[flyingaway]

In many small towns or villages in Europe, there are cameras and flashing lights turning on when you are approaching the villages, usually on small roads, but I have not received any tickets yet. I later found that they will turn on whether you are speeding or not.

But I now prefer not to rent a car in Europe, or just a small car.

 

[Walt34]

IDK if it's still the case, but when I lived in Virginia they had a law against the ownership of radar detectors.

Well, sort of. The Virginia statute in question prohibits "interception of police communications" and was targeted at scanners, in an era when burglars and robbers used scanners to inform them if the police were on the way to their location. To then say that radar waves were "police communications" seems more than a bit of a stretch to me, but that's what the VA supreme court said in upholding a lower court ruling.

While I may be mistaken on this part, I think it boils down to that the "use of" radar detectors" is illegal, but not the mere possession of said devices. I think.

All this is based on a conversation several decades ago with a couple of VA police officers at a convention in Florida. In the lounge. And yes alcohol was involved.

 

[GhostofTomJoad]

Long story short, I've been vacationing in Italy for years with a rental car. In all those trips I've always known Italy (and Europe as a whole) has a ton of radar camera's through-out the countryside. Because of this I've always driven like an old lady just so I don't receive the dreaded Italy speeding ticket in the mail months later.

Can't tell you how many times I've had locals pass me up honking simply because I was going the speed limit. Me, I'm 65 and have never had an accident or ticket in my entire life. Something most people can't say.

Sure enough I just received an email from Hertz Italy telling me that my vehicle has received a speeding ticket for 2 km over the speed limit! That's like 1.3 MPH over the limit.

Apparently it happened on the autostrada as I was returning the car to the Florence Airport location. Besides this still unknown ticket amount I'm also expected to be billed an administration fee from Hertz for processing my info to the police.

Apparently driving like an old lady isn't enough anymore! Don't get stuck behind me next year, I'll be the one driving well below the speed limit driving everyone crazy.

I'd find a way to tell them exactly what they can do with their speeding ticket!!!!! "You can't fight city hall," but you can make your displeasure known!!! What a bunch of f***. (And do you really ever need to go back to that country again?)