Fined for Traffic Offence Driving My Own Car in Italy
Discussion
This morning I get a letter from the Polizia Municipale Comune Di Firenze. It seems that during our trip there last June (2017) we drove through a restricted area and this has resulted in a fine.
As we were driving our own car they have obviously got my details from Swansea in order to send the fine to me and it seems that they have up to a year to issue it. Before the "Holier Than You" types jump in, I've accepted I've done wrong and have paid the fine so no more to be said on that.
The reason for posting is to provide a bit more info. The fine including costs was 110.56 Euros but if you pay within 5 days of notification you get a 30% discount so I paid 86.26 Euros. If you fail to pay by day 60 following notification the fine doubles.
You can pay by credit card (for an additional 1.21 Euros) on an Italian website which was pretty simple to follow and you get an email shortly afterwards confirming payment and closure of the offence.
The notification is in English but is very technical and not easy to understand so needs to be read several times. The payment instructions are also very straightforward.
So be aware if you driving over there this summer.
As we were driving our own car they have obviously got my details from Swansea in order to send the fine to me and it seems that they have up to a year to issue it. Before the "Holier Than You" types jump in, I've accepted I've done wrong and have paid the fine so no more to be said on that.
The reason for posting is to provide a bit more info. The fine including costs was 110.56 Euros but if you pay within 5 days of notification you get a 30% discount so I paid 86.26 Euros. If you fail to pay by day 60 following notification the fine doubles.
You can pay by credit card (for an additional 1.21 Euros) on an Italian website which was pretty simple to follow and you get an email shortly afterwards confirming payment and closure of the offence.
The notification is in English but is very technical and not easy to understand so needs to be read several times. The payment instructions are also very straightforward.
So be aware if you driving over there this summer.
Ive been driving in Italy for work trips for years (hire cars not my own), Ive also been stung by this twice after driving in restricted areas in Florence and Turin - sign posting to mark out these areas is dreadful, espcially in Turin..
Similar letters were sent to me at home since the local authority would have got my address through the hire company. Ive never paid them, first one dates back to 2012 & after a couple of chasers I heard nothing more.
Not saying anyone should follow my lead but if this happened in the UK under the same circumstances, I would be appealing against the fine. No such recourse was offered, just a demand to pay immediately.
Similar letters were sent to me at home since the local authority would have got my address through the hire company. Ive never paid them, first one dates back to 2012 & after a couple of chasers I heard nothing more.
Not saying anyone should follow my lead but if this happened in the UK under the same circumstances, I would be appealing against the fine. No such recourse was offered, just a demand to pay immediately.
Denis O said:
Thanks for the heads up as I'll be going from Ancona to Pisa, then Pisa to Mont Blanc in a couple of weeks. Let's hope the TomTom doesn't take me through any restricted areas.
Watch out for cameras on the autostrada also, never usually much in the way of warning signs. Maker sure your tomtom is upto date or use Waze which does a good job of having the latest camera ifo.
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