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Italy has the most speed cameras in Europe, study shows

Italy tops the table for the number of speed cameras across the country's roads, compared to the rest of Europe, a new study has revealed.

Published: 29 May 2021 15:54 CEST

Italy has the most speed cameras in Europe, study shows

Watch out, there are over 8,000 speed cameras in Italy. (Photo by XAVIER LEOTY / AFP)

Driving on Italy’s roads can be a scenic delight but it also turns out they are the most speed-regulated in Europe, as they have the highest amount of speed cameras in Europe, a new study by driving institute Zutobi found.

Italy’s figure for those sometimes sneaky ‘autovelox‘ comes in at 8,073, far outpacing the figures for Germany (3,813) and France (2,406).

Compared to Slovakia’s tiny total of 13 speed cameras across the entire country, driving in Italy entails a reasonable amount of caution to avoid speeding fines.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: How do you take your driving test in Italy?

In fact, the report has gathered data on the countries with the strictest speeding fines too – and Italy features highly again, coming second only to Norway.

Fines for speeding on the motorway start at €143 and drink driving charges start at €1,500.

If you think that’s steep, Norway raced in first with €711 and an eye-watering €5,783 for these fines respectively.

Italy features highly for driving fines compared to Europe, with the most amount of speed cameras. Source: Zutobi

At the other end of the scale, the least strict country in Europe for driving fines is Albania, with motorway speeding starting at just €20 and an almost unnoticeable €8 fine if you’re caught using your mobile phone while driving.

UPDATE: What are the rules on driving between Italy and the UK right now?

On the other hand, Italy’s fines for making a call or texting while on the road start at €160.

At the other end of the scale, these countries are lax with their driving fines, with Albania placing first for the least strict in Europe. Source: Zutobi

Zutobi gathered its data on fines, speed limits and blood alcohol limits from Speeding Europe, SCBD and Auto Europe.

Member comments

thomas.schneider - 31 May 2021 at 09:08 CEST

Hihihi – but they still drive as they had won the driving license in a KINDER-Egg. Overtaking even with double line and left and right. Close up if you respect the speed. Park on the emergency strip to save 1€ of parking…
SO maybe the speed cameras were mostly a good uma-uma business.

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The worst dates to drive on Italy’s roads in the second half of August

With the long summer holidays coming to a close and many making their way back home, Italy’s motorways are forecast to see intense or at times even very heavy traffic over the second half of August in what’s generally known as controesodo (literally, ‘counter-exodus’).

The increased number of vehicles on the road isn’t just inconvenient; it can also be dangerous as June, July and August are usually the months with the most recorded car accidents.

That’s why the Italian government issues warnings each year advising motorists to avoid peak travel times, and even publishes its own calendar showing when traffic is predicted to be at its worst.

The official forecast is colour-coded, with a yellow marker indicating intense traffic, red indicating heavy traffic with ‘possible critical conditions’, and black indicating ‘critical’ traffic.

Though the remainder of August has no black markers, the calendar features plenty of yellow and red ‘spots’.

Italy’s official traffic calendar for the month of August. Source: Polizia di Stato

Unsurprisingly, weekends will generally be the worst time to hit the road in the next two weeks, with roads forecast to start clogging up from as early as Friday morning and possibly critical conditions expected all day long on Saturdays and Sundays.

But even Mondays may not be safe from congestion at this time of the year as drivers are forecast to encounter intense traffic in the mornings of August 21st and 28th.

Overall then, the best time for motorists to hit the road next month would be from Tuesday to Thursday as, barring one single exception (Wednesday, August 30th), traffic is expected to remain at normal levels on those days.

How can I keep up to date with the latest developments?

There are a number of resources that motorists can use to check the live status of the road network.

This online map from Italy’s motorway construction and maintenance company ANAS features live updates on road closures, maintenance work, traffic levels and even weather conditions. The service is also available through their mobile app, ‘VAI’.

Motorway company Autostrade per l’Italia offers a similar live map, showing road closures and traffic jams as well as the locations of the nearest petrol stations and service areas.

The Italian Transport and Infrastructure Ministry’s X (formerly Twitter) account gives live updates on the status of the country’s major roads.

Finally, if you want to speak directly to an operator while you’re on the road, you can do so by either contacting ANAS’s customer service at 800 841 148 or using their live chat.

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