It will be the summer of scorching heat, of inflation. And of the Speed Cameras. There are hundreds of thousands of Italians who have decided to use the car to move from one part of the country to another. Some for convenience, others because, given the high price that hit planes and trains, they realized that traveling by car - perhaps sharing the costs with the passengers - would have been cheaper. But you have to be careful. Why holiday costs 2023 could rise due to an unexpected component: speed cameras.
In view of the departures, in fact, many municipalities have increased the presence of speed meters on the road, especially on the most traveled routes. The complaint comes from Absolute users who examined some roads particularly used by motorists for summer travel and characterized by a massive presence of speed cameras and explains: "In view of the departures of the Italians, the municipalities are waiting to count the money they will collect thanks to the fines raised by the speed cameras installed" .
On Telesina 7 speed cameras in 25 kilometres
Assoutenti reports several critical situations, first of all that of Telesina, the state road that starts from the Caianello tollbooth of the A1 Milan-Naples and arrives in Benevento. “It is one of the most at-risk arteries in terms of road fines,” explains Assotenti. “Here, in a stretch of about 25 km long, according to the surveys of the navigation apps, there are well 7 speed camera locations in each direction, with speed limits that have changed over time, creating confusion among motorists and a flurry of fines”.
A complaint also confirmed by the data, considering that the municipalities of Puglianello, Castelvenere, Paupisi and Torrecuso, which are the ones responsible for the speed meters, last year collected almost 3 million euros thanks to these tools.
In Salento, 23 million euros in fines in 2022
Attention also to one of the tourist destinations par excellence of the Italian summers: the Salento, which in 2022 collected around 23 million euros thanks to the fines imposed through speed cameras. Any examples? Assoutenti reports the municipality of Cavallino which has seen the proceeds of speed cameras go from zero in 2021 to 2,5 million euros in 2022 thanks to the speed detection device installed on the state road 16 Lecce-Maglie. The Municipality of Surbo collected 309.580 euros, 720.022 euros that of Trepuzzi thanks to the three speed cameras installed on the state road 613 Lecce-Brindisi. The record goes to Melpignano: 2.54 million.
From Lazio to the Dolomites: it's the summer of speed cameras
Then there is the strange case of the southern coast of Lazio, where there is a road, the state road 213 "Flacca", which is dotted with speed cameras: in just 13 km there are 3 in each direction of travel, which generated revenues of over 2022 thousand euros in 500.
Those who choose lakes or mountains are also at risk: on The Dolomites the small town of Colle Santa Lucia (Bl), with its 340 inhabitants, recorded 349.980 euros in receipts thanks to the speed cameras, while many protests raised the speed detection device installed in Benaco Tower (Vr), Veronese coast of Lake Garda: 275.519 euros of revenue in 2022. In the section Bolzano-San Candido (about 100 km) the speed cameras reported today would be over 10.
"Unfortunately, the data show that road safety continues to be confused with the need of municipalities to raise cash - denounces the president of Assoutenti Furio Truzzi - Spreading a road with speed cameras, perhaps positioning them in an inconspicuous way or suddenly and without reason lowering the speed limits, does not guarantee the safety of motorists, but it seems more convenient expedient to banish the citizens through road fines, thus obtaining resources to make up for budget holes”.
