New rules on speed cameras: here’s what changes for motorists, which devices must be approved, when a fine can be contested and the news on checks and sanctions.
With summer just around the corner and millions of Italians ready to travel for holidays, weekends and work trips, the topic of speed cameras returns to the center of attention. In recent months the debate has heated up around the validity of fines for speeding, the rulings of the Supreme Court and the new provisions of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport which aim to bring order to a situation that has become particularly complex.
For motorists the question is simple: what actually changes? And above all, when can a fine be contested?
The issue of speed camera approval
The central point of the story concerns the difference between approval and homologation of devices.
In recent years, numerous sentences have highlighted how these are two different procedures and that approval represents a fundamental requirement to guarantee the full validity of the sanctions. Precisely this distinction has opened the way to thousands of appeals by motorists who have contested high fines using non-approved devices.
To resolve the problem, the Ministry of Transport has signed a new decree which defines in detail the procedures for the approval, verification and calibration of speed cameras. The declared objective is to create a uniform regulatory framework and guarantee the reliability of the measurements carried out by the devices installed on Italian roads.
The new rules for municipalities and administrations
The news does not only concern motorists, but also local authorities.
In fact, administrations will have to respect stricter criteria for the installation of devices. Speed cameras will no longer be able to be placed freely and it will be necessary to demonstrate the existence of particular road safety needs, such as a high accident rate. Furthermore, the Prefect’s green light will be required and specific minimum distances between one device and another must be respected.
The intent is to combat the phenomenon of “wild speed cameras”, often accused by motorists of being used more as tools to make money than to guarantee safety on the roads.
Which speed cameras are affected by the new provisions
One of the most relevant issues concerns devices already installed.
According to the indications emerging from the new regulatory framework, devices approved from 2017 onwards should be considered compliant with the required requirements, while for older ones a technical and documentary verification process will be necessary to obtain definitive approval.
The decree also introduces precise procedures for the initial and periodic calibration of instruments, a fundamental aspect to ensure that speed measurements are correct and legally sound.
When a fine can be contested
Many motorists continue to wonder whether it is still possible to appeal a fine detected by speed cameras.
The answer depends on the individual case. Generally speaking, a sanction could be contested if irregularities emerge relating to the approval of the device, its correct calibration or failure to comply with the procedures established by current legislation. The rulings of the Court of Cassation in recent years have in fact reiterated the importance of approval as an essential requirement for the validity of assessments.
However, it should be underlined that the new ministerial decree aims precisely to reduce the gray areas that have fueled the dispute in recent years, providing uniform rules for all the entities involved.
What motorists need to know before setting off
For those preparing to travel during the summer, the most important news is that the speed control system is entering a phase of greater regulation.
Speed cameras will have to comply with more stringent criteria, be correctly approved and subjected to periodic checks. At the same time, motorists will have clearer tools to verify the regularity of any fines received.
The final objective remains the one declared by the Ministry: to increase road safety and reduce accidents, while preventing checks from being perceived as a simple collection tool.
