As of: March 19, 2024, 5:10 a.m
By: Ulrike Hagen, Michelle Brey
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Italy is reintroducing a law that already applied.
Drivers should be careful now.
Because if you ignore it, it can be expensive.
Bolzano – pizza and pasta, sandy beaches and sea: every year numerous holidaymakers travel to Italy.
Lake Garda, where mosquitoes brought dengue fever in 2023, is also a popular travel destination.
However, anyone traveling to the holiday destination by car should find out in advance what rules apply there.
There are some fine traps.
In the summer of 2024, reintroduced traffic regulations could cause unpleasant surprises.
Especially those who take their bikes with them should be careful.
Change in the law in Italy – rules affect drivers
The relevant innovation affects all vehicle drivers who transport bicycles, skis or snowboards on a rear rack in Italy.
Since a change in the law in August 2023, rear carriers with repeat license plates and their own lighting have been exempt from the obligation to attach a red and white warning sign.
Anyone taking bicycles to Italy should be careful.
Traffic regulations were reintroduced.
© Imago/Bruno Kickner
However, this provision has been repealed: warning markings are now also required for illuminated and marked rear carriers.
Anyone who ignores this rule runs the risk of having to pay a fine of at least 80 euros, according to the ADAC.
What applies in Italy?
According to the ADAC, you must observe these regulations for warning signs
Basically: Anyone who transports something in Italy that extends beyond the rear or uses a rear carrier must attach a red and white warning sign.
If the load protruding to the rear takes up the entire width of the vehicle, two of the aforementioned warning signs must be attached to the left and right at the side end of the load.
The warning sign should be made of sheet metal.
It must be at least 50 x 50 centimeters in size and have red and white hatching.
There must be five red stripes.
Fines of up to 345 euros – regulations for bicycles can be expensive in Italy
Holidaymakers should also know the regulations for securing loads.
In Italy it is mandatory that bicycles cannot be wider than the vehicle in which they are transported.
Although the road traffic regulations generally allow the load to protrude 30 centimeters beyond the rear lights, this regulation does not apply to so-called difficult-to-see loads.
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The updated Italian Highway Code classifies bicycles as “difficult to detect cargo”.
Therefore, when mounted on a rear rack, they must not be wider than the vehicle itself. Failure to comply with this rule can result in severe penalties.
The ADAC points out that fines of up to 345 euros are possible.
Travelers whose bikes stick out over the taillights should definitely consider whether they actually want to set off for Italy loaded like that.
Most recently, the automobile club also provided information about the most common fines in the cold season.
The editor wrote this article and then used an AI language model for optimization at her own discretion. All information has been carefully checked. Find out more about our AI principles here.