Italy: Village makes millions of euros because tourists fall into speed camera traps

In the past, anyone who went on holiday in Italy and forgot to take a selfie had a good chance of the government compensating for the omission by mail. The country was previously the European champion in setting up speed cameras. In terms of numbers, there are more speed cameras along the picturesque roads in the south than anywhere else.

Million-dollar source in the mountain village

This leads to interesting records in remote areas: According to the Italian newspaper “”, the small village of Colle Santa Lucia in the Dolomites was able to earn 1.2 million euros in just three years with just one speed camera. Since the village only has 353 inhabitants, that’s over 3000 euros per person. Of course, no one gets the money in cash, but it hasn’t hurt the municipal coffers in any way. Italians, however, seem to be affected less often. According to the report, it is mainly tourists who speed into the speed traps.

Other municipalities, such as Cittadella in the province of Padua, Melpignano in the province of Lecce or Giacciano Con Baruchella in the province of Rovigo, also bring in millions. Sometimes the revenue comes from several speed cameras, sometimes just one is enough. The leaders in terms of revenue from fines are, not surprisingly, Rome and Milan.

Not everyone is enthusiastic about this windfall. Gabriele Melluso, president of the consumer protection organization Assoutenti, told the newspaper “”: “Local authorities must not misuse the speed cameras as cash machines. The speed cameras should serve solely to ensure road safety.”

Fewer speed cameras in Italy in the future

His wish has apparently been granted. As he reports, the recently passed “speed camera decree” will apply in Italy in the future. The aim of the reform is to “regulate the use of measuring devices more strictly in order to prevent misuse.” In concrete terms, this means that the distances between speed cameras must be increased, each speed camera must be announced with a sign even earlier – and devices may only be placed in places where “there is an increased risk of accidents.” In addition, speed cameras are only permitted in urban areas where a maximum speed of 50 km/h is prescribed.

This sometimes has astonishing effects: According to “”, 14 of 16 speed cameras in the Italian city of Bolzano alone have been switched off. This is mainly due to changes in the permissible speed limit for setting up the cameras: where the speed limit is less than 50 km/h, the speed cameras have to go. This leaves the city with just two.

Local politicians and residents fear for road safety, because critics of the reform believe that safety is now suffering, especially on roads with a low speed limit.