As of: January 21, 2024, 6:13 a.m
By: Richard Strobl
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An Autovelox speed camera in Italy.
(Archive image) © Imago/Rust
Italy is cracking down on speeders with a flood of speed cameras.
This also brings a lot of money into the coffers, as current figures show.
Rome – For experienced holidaymakers in Italy, the sight of automatic speed cameras on roads is no longer a surprise.
While in Germany a flash box only seems to be permanently installed here and there, there are such devices in front of and behind almost every Italian town.
They also follow at regular intervals on country roads and motorways.
And the feeling is not deceptive.
In fact, Italy has integrated the most speed cameras into its road network in all of Europe.
This is the result of a current study by the consumer protection association Codacons.
According to current estimates, there are more than 11,000 automatic speed cameras in Italy.
For comparison: In Great Britain there are 7,700, in Germany 4,700 and in France 3,780.
Italy, the speed camera paradise: municipalities are significantly increasing their revenue from fines
For Italy's municipalities, speed cameras are apparently not only an educational tool for drivers, but also a welcome source of income.
According to Codacons, the 20 most important cities in Italy earned a total of 75,891,968 euros from fines for speed camera photos in 2022.
This corresponds to an increase of 61.7 percent compared to 2021 (46,921,290 euros).
By far the top city ranking is the tourist magnet Florence in Tuscany.
The Medici city collected 23.2 million euros from speed camera fines in 2022.
Milan follows in second place with 13 million euros, then Genoa (10.7 million euros) and only then the capital Rome with 6.1 million euros.
Codacons, on the other hand, says it is surprising that Naples could not increase its fines from 2021 to 2022.
Here it stagnated at a comparatively ridiculous 18,700 euros.
Millions with just one speed camera?
Italian community cashes in
Two small communities made the most significant jumps.
Cavallino increased his fines from 0 euros in 2021 to a total of 2,520,121 euros in 2022. According to Codacons, a single speed camera on state road 16 Lecce-Maglie is responsible for this.
Melpignano even earned 2,545,445 euros from speed camera fines.
The high sums are not only due to the large number of speed cameras, but also to the high fines that the country imposes for offenses.
To make matters worse, Giorgia Meloni's government is planning to drastically increase fines in Italy again.