Driving Fine Italy

Barnaboy

Today I received a fine by registered post from Italy. I was there on holidays in June. According to the notification I drove in a traffic limited zone, which apparently is not allowed.

It gave very specific details, it was captured on CCTV. I looked it up on google maps and I vaguely remember driving there. It was a busy time and I was hunting for a parking space. I drove up the road and back out, probably on the street for a minute at most. I was oblivious to the fact it was not allowed.

I had a look at the signage on maps and it is not exactly crystal clear, when in a car. On foot it's probably OK.

For my indiscretion I have been fined over 100 euro! 5 days to pay, then goes up another 30, then after 60 days it's doubled.

If you appeal and lose it is doubled.

Feel like I am being screwed.

What would likely happen if I ignored this? We travel to Italy a lot so don't want any issues if I try to rent a car again.

Anyone else been in this situation before?

Ted222

Happens all the time. You’ll find your credit card will also have debited by the car hire company - admin fee for supplying your contact details to the authorities.

Italy is notorious for this kind of fine. Signage is generally very poor. Appeals on the grounds of being an unfamiliar tourist cut no ice.

I ignored a fine I got in Pisa some years ago and never heard anything since. Got a ticket in Rome that I got a reminder about. I decided to pay as, like yourself, I don’t want to risk a tap on the shoulder if I go back.

The car hire company won’t care either way but if the authorities get involved it might be a different story.

Perhaps just pay and put it down to experience. It’s a beautiful country and you want to enjoy it the next time you’re there.

DoctorEdgeWild

If you're satisfied that it is legit, then you'd pay it surely? I had a fine driving in Sweden once, sent the notification to the hire car company just to make sure it was legitimate, which it was, so I paid it.

If you think it's possibly a scam then you could get the hire car company to confirm it. They usually do so very quickly.

deandean

In my experience it's very easy to pick up these motoring fines in Italy.

2 yrs ago I drove along a 'restricted' road in a town. Three days in a row. Eight months later - three charges on my credit card from car hire company for data access, and three fines of about €120 each!

It really pi$$ed me off but I paid the fines, as I holiday in the same area most years. Bastardos!

Barnaboy

Thanks everyone. It is definitely legit. All the details add up and it was sent by registered post. Pissed off about it but I am leaning towards just paying it.

vandriver

The Italians are more efficient than the Brits or the French then.

I paid the exorbitant data access fee to hire companies in both countries over a year ago,and no fine from either.

Citizen Six

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122647882#Comment_122647882

I've gotten French fines within two weeks, a couple of times.

Ted222

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122647892#Comment_122647892

Plus the French make it easier to pay. Paying for a fine incurred in Italy is very cumbersome.

NSAman

same. €500 euro fine in a “zona historica” unfortunately, I was staying in a hotel in that area….. thankfully I keep receipts… no €500 euro fine. It arrived a year after I was there.

Citizen Six

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122648057#Comment_122648057

Yeah, I think I paid it easily online. One of them was only €25, if I remember correctly.

Oscar_Madison

I somehow avoided a fine in France for driving in a zone limited to EVs I think - essentially some sort of eco zone- it’s so easily done - it was my own car and was just following where the sat nav/google maps took me- I’d certainly pay it if I ever got one as you just don’t know where it would end up - there’s downsides as well as benefits for being in the EU - this is probably one of the downsides 😀

tabby aspreme

The timing of this thread is unfortunate 😁 as I'm in Italy at the moment, the little orange fixed speed cameras was all I worried about up to now.

Oscar_Madison

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122648463#Comment_122648463

ZTL - I reckon Google maps should help you but check online in advance the town you’re travelling to- especially if your hotel is in a high tourist area- chances are you’ll need to get the hotel to register your car if that’s even possible

https://www.europe-consommateurs.eu/en/travelling-motor-vehicles/motor-vehicles/traffic-fines-in-restricted-areas-in-italy.html

facehugger99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122647752#Comment_122647752

Ignore it - absolutely nothing will happen.

I'm speaking from experience.

Banzai600

i got one a few yrs ago - again Italy - entering residential area with permits only - with a scooter i hired. turned out the stupid pr!k i hired from, didnt register the bike at the time with local council despite telling me all about it beforehand. got a registered letter from the post office a couple of months later, i had to go collect, post office wouldnt let me see it, unless i signed for it first.

anyway long story short, i paid it, 50e less than the fine, think i paid 75, as i go to italy a lot and i didnt want the hassle on returning if it ever arose. i rang the local council and negotiated over the phone to reduce the price. the scooter shop clown said they will hold on record, so not sure how true that is, so paid it to avoid further crap when going to / coming from italy, just in case.

St1mpMeister

I'm assuming one way around this is to use Revolut when paying for the car and freeze the card when not in use, hence any attempts by the hire company to charge your card will be ineffectual

Allinall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122649131#Comment_122649131

Dangerous and bad advice.

Your experience will not be replicated for everyone.

Del2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122650394#Comment_122650394

Credit cards are what all rental companies take, some will take debit cards. None will take pre paid cards.

road_high

Unfortunately they have with the credit card and I assume will take it there plus fees either way. Why im never arsed driving abroad. Not worth the hassle

St1mpMeister

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122650670#Comment_122650670

Revolut isn't a prepaid card it's a debit card. I've never had an issue using it on any rental, very few places require credit cards these days.

In fact I got rid of my credit card a few years ago and never had issues paying for anything.

Barnaboy

Good discussion everyone. In the end I just paid it. Don't need the hassle as we regularly visit Italy.

It must be a serious cash cow for them, bastardi!

cml387

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122652237#Comment_122652237

On the contrary, it's a way of keeping traffic out of Italian cities and towns which are beautifully historic and not built for cars. I'm also a regular visitor to Italy.

StupidLikeAFox

The fine will be passed to a debt collectors. There will be some follow ups but they have no legal recourse to chase you, even if they were bothered. Got one a few years ago so speaking from experience. If you ignore it it will go away

Charles Babbage

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122650758#Comment_122650758

On a debit card they will have put a big hold on it at the beginning and will be able to get the fines etc within that amount.