Traffic violations in Florence, Italy
Dec 29th, 2011, 09:49 AM
#1
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Traffic violations in Florence, Italy
Has anyone had experience with receiving a traffic violation in Florence, Italy?
Have you paid the fine?
We received the violation more than a year after our trip, but less than a year after the violation was "ascertained". The violation was: "Circulating on roads reserved to other vehicles and indicated by traffic signs."
Any experience or advice would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Have you paid the fine?
We received the violation more than a year after our trip, but less than a year after the violation was "ascertained". The violation was: "Circulating on roads reserved to other vehicles and indicated by traffic signs."
Any experience or advice would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Dec 29th, 2011, 10:33 AM
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Happy Traveler,
I suggest you post this in the Italy forum, rather than the US forum - you will get more replies. Yes, this is common in Florence Italy and many people get the ticket several months after they have returned home. For example, Florence has a restricted congestion zone (similiar to London0 and if you drive thru it you will get a ticket.
Go to the Italy forum, post your question, and while you are waiting for replies do a search on the Italy forum for Florence+tickets and you will find numerous discussions on the topic!
I suggest you post this in the Italy forum, rather than the US forum - you will get more replies. Yes, this is common in Florence Italy and many people get the ticket several months after they have returned home. For example, Florence has a restricted congestion zone (similiar to London0 and if you drive thru it you will get a ticket.
Go to the Italy forum, post your question, and while you are waiting for replies do a search on the Italy forum for Florence+tickets and you will find numerous discussions on the topic!
Dec 29th, 2011, 10:39 AM
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It's actually the Europe forum, but the advice and information above is correct.
If you don't pay, you will have the same worries you would have in the US if you have an outstanding warrant. If you get pulled over for a minor offense or are involved in an accident, even if it is not your fault, you are likely to have the warrants run and your real trouble begin.
You should also expect a charge on your credit card from the rental company for giving them your contact information.
The good news is that if the Euro keeps falling, your ticket gets cheaper every day!
If you don't pay, you will have the same worries you would have in the US if you have an outstanding warrant. If you get pulled over for a minor offense or are involved in an accident, even if it is not your fault, you are likely to have the warrants run and your real trouble begin.
You should also expect a charge on your credit card from the rental company for giving them your contact information.
The good news is that if the Euro keeps falling, your ticket gets cheaper every day!
Dec 29th, 2011, 11:16 AM
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If you're never going back to Italy you can ignore it - but a charge for it may come through on hte credit card you gave for the ar rental.
If you plan on going back to italy and/or renting a car again from this company you will probably hve to resolve it - at whatever price the ticket, fines for non-payment, extra fees etc will add up to.
If you plan on going back to italy and/or renting a car again from this company you will probably hve to resolve it - at whatever price the ticket, fines for non-payment, extra fees etc will add up to.
Dec 29th, 2011, 12:22 PM
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Dec 30th, 2011, 08:42 AM
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The Italians can suprise you . . the beurocracy is usually so overwhelming that nothing ever gets finished, but they seem to do well when it comes to tickets.
I got one with a rental car once and when I turned the car in I ask the Hertz guy what I should do . . he shrugged and said it would likely just get lost in the system since it was not in Rome, but that if they got billed, they would charge my credit card . . about a year later, I got the charge!
I got one with a rental car once and when I turned the car in I ask the Hertz guy what I should do . . he shrugged and said it would likely just get lost in the system since it was not in Rome, but that if they got billed, they would charge my credit card . . about a year later, I got the charge!
Nov 11th, 2012, 12:47 PM
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Chalk me up as another victim. Rented car through Hertz in Florence for 10 days to tour the hill towns of Tuscany and Umbria. Had to stop by the apartment we rented in Florence to pick up a suitcase that we had left behing before returning the car to Hertz on 29 May and boarding the train. Received a $44 charge from Hertz a couple of weeks later for some sort of traffic violation - turns out this was a charge for furnishing my personal information to the City of Florence, and just received (Oct 25 2012) a traffic violation notice from the City of Florence for "...circulating in a limited traffic area without authorization..." It includes the address to a web site, user name and password where you can look at a picture of the rear of the car and license plate. The fine is 98 Euro. Just to add some icing to the cake - the bicycle that I rented while in Florence was stolen - probably by the rental shop which had asked for an address where I was staying - which cost 150 Euro. Not a very tourist friendly destination. It will be my last trip to Italy.
Nov 11th, 2012, 02:02 PM
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Um, that's what happens when you don;t follow the traffic laws.
As for the bike being stolen - how was it stolen? Was it secured? Did you report to the police - as well as the shop you hired it - so your travel or homeowners insurance would cover you?
As for the bike being stolen - how was it stolen? Was it secured? Did you report to the police - as well as the shop you hired it - so your travel or homeowners insurance would cover you?
Nov 11th, 2012, 02:14 PM
#12
"Chalk me up as another victim."
Driving where you aren't supposed to be doesn't make you a 'victim', it makes you a perpetrator.
And you honestly think the bike rental shop stole their own bike??
Driving where you aren't supposed to be doesn't make you a 'victim', it makes you a perpetrator.
And you honestly think the bike rental shop stole their own bike??
Nov 13th, 2012, 03:42 PM
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Having been labeled as a "perpetrator", i would like to explain to the forum what my "crime" was. I drove a rental car into a limited traffic area where there were no signs to indicate it was a restricted zone that was photo enforced. There were 3 others in the car with me that also did not see any sign of this restriction. It should be noted that we had paid to stay for ~ 2 weeks with a resident family at an apartment there. I have to think they would have warned us if they were aware of it.
My purpose for posting this information on the forum was to warn others and hopefully save someone from paying $175 for a "crime" they don't know about or the hassle of providing a written appeal - in Italian.
My purpose for posting this information on the forum was to warn others and hopefully save someone from paying $175 for a "crime" they don't know about or the hassle of providing a written appeal - in Italian.
Feb 11th, 2013, 06:18 AM
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We had the same experience times 3-first six months after our July 2012 visit, we received a speeding violation for approx. 12 mph over the speed limit, fine 202 Euro plus administrative costs from Europcar of $66, over $350. Weeks later we received the two "circulating in a restricted zone in Florence" tickets, issued within 30 minutes of each other, obviously in the same area, the fine 100 Euro each plus administrative costs. We were guests in their country, obviously unawares that we were breaking any laws, as we were not stopped. This was our fifth and last trip to Italy. I read somewhere that when German officials learn that it issued tickets to tourists, they are dismissed. I am telling everyone about Italy's cameras and fines. We are still fighting the two Florence tix but did pay the speeding ticket despite feeling that the fine was excessive and left us no defense all these months later (the ticket says the fine is doubled if you appeal and lose). We spent thousands of dollars during our two weeks in Italy and are very unhappy with this new reality.
Feb 11th, 2013, 07:14 AM
#17
How MANY times have we heard about no-auto zones which aren't well-marked? Speed camera fines that were received months and months later?
I am certain there have been posts here which have at least mentioned the "risks" involved with renting a car and using it in some places.
Someone recently wanted to know if there were any advantages to renting the "overpriced" GPS from Europcar vs. bringing their own and one of the "answers" was that the "expensive" one will alert you to speed cameras; the advice was ignored.
Breaking laws is usually not something people are very happy about; being advised to ignore the consequences is something that regularly appears on this forum, unfortunately.
I am certain there have been posts here which have at least mentioned the "risks" involved with renting a car and using it in some places.
Someone recently wanted to know if there were any advantages to renting the "overpriced" GPS from Europcar vs. bringing their own and one of the "answers" was that the "expensive" one will alert you to speed cameras; the advice was ignored.
Breaking laws is usually not something people are very happy about; being advised to ignore the consequences is something that regularly appears on this forum, unfortunately.
Feb 11th, 2013, 07:20 AM
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Hmmmm. So does this mean that a German tourist who is unaware of US laws should be let off without a ticket if he speeds?
IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO KNOW THE LAW AND THE TRAFFIC SIGNS. Yes, I am shouting, and I also got such a ticket in Vicenza. Tough for me. If you can't accept that responsibility, you shouldn't drive abroad -- or in other states in the US. Some states permit right on red, some don't. Will the cop not give you a ticket because they don't do it that way in your state?
Also tagging this onto an old post which is in the wrong forum is a bad idea, and I accept the scorn I will get for adding to it, but your attitude (a combination of whiny and belligerent) is not helpful to you.
IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO KNOW THE LAW AND THE TRAFFIC SIGNS. Yes, I am shouting, and I also got such a ticket in Vicenza. Tough for me. If you can't accept that responsibility, you shouldn't drive abroad -- or in other states in the US. Some states permit right on red, some don't. Will the cop not give you a ticket because they don't do it that way in your state?
Also tagging this onto an old post which is in the wrong forum is a bad idea, and I accept the scorn I will get for adding to it, but your attitude (a combination of whiny and belligerent) is not helpful to you.
Feb 11th, 2013, 09:27 AM
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IMHO - if you rent a care you need to learn the rules of the road in that country - and follow them. If not and you get a ticket - pay them to avoid late charges and fees.
How you can fight a ticket when they have a picture of your car in the pedestrian area - I don't understand.
As for costs - here parking tickets start at $150. And if you accidentally park on a street scheduled for street sweeping - and your car is towed - it will cost more than $1000 - and take most of the day to get it back. Doesn't matter if you are from Indiana or Mars - ignorance of the law is no excuse.
How you can fight a ticket when they have a picture of your car in the pedestrian area - I don't understand.
As for costs - here parking tickets start at $150. And if you accidentally park on a street scheduled for street sweeping - and your car is towed - it will cost more than $1000 - and take most of the day to get it back. Doesn't matter if you are from Indiana or Mars - ignorance of the law is no excuse.
Feb 11th, 2013, 10:01 AM
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I'm having problems with the following statement:
"I drove a rental car into a limited traffic area where there were no signs to indicate it was a restricted zone that was photo enforced."
So I'm confused. Are you saying there were no signs to indicate it was a restricted area --(that's hard to believe) or are you just saying they didn't warn you there were cameras to prove you were in the area that was marked as restricted, therefore you thought you could get away with it?
"I drove a rental car into a limited traffic area where there were no signs to indicate it was a restricted zone that was photo enforced."
So I'm confused. Are you saying there were no signs to indicate it was a restricted area --(that's hard to believe) or are you just saying they didn't warn you there were cameras to prove you were in the area that was marked as restricted, therefore you thought you could get away with it?
