New Speed Traps For Italian Autostrade

Anyone who has travelled on an Italian motorway cannot have failed to notice the blatant disregard that most drivers have for the speed limits. Even in dangerous weather conditions the culture dictates that the pedal should be down to the metal.

There is a case documented of a Porsche that travelled on the A4 between the Grumello and Seriate exits on 16th December last at an average speed of 241.61 Km/hr (150mph)! The possibility to calculate the speed from the point of entry to the point of exit has always existed on the autostrade since the toll system records both times. However, although it was tried many years ago it was rapidly abandoned due to the inaccuracies of time keeping.

The days of wind up clocks are long gone and a new system is being introduced now. This new trap is called Tutor and it combines a series of cameras with a GPS system. It works by tracking vehicles over relatively long distances and calculating the average speed. It locks onto ALL vehicles, automatically discarding those that are travelling within legal limits but issuing the appropriate fine by post to those over the limit. Under the system you have no right of appeal because Tutor is said to be infallible. The system also works in rain and fog, and it recognises the class of vehicle. It can therefore catch you if you do not observe the reduced limits in bad weather or if you are going too fast for the type of vehicle you are driving.

At the moment there are four stretches of autostrada where Tutor is already operative:

• A13 Bologna-Padova between Occhiobello and Ferrara Nord
• A14 Adriatica between Forli and Cesena Nord
• A4 Milano -Brescia between Grumello and Seriate (direction Venezia)
• A4 Milano-Brescia between Ospitaletto and Rovato (direction Milano).

The programme is to have the entire autostrada network covered by the end of 2006. You have been warned!

Steve Emmett 26th January 2006

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