No fines from Italy for foreign drivers

Italian chaos

According to Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, Italy is facing a technical problem that makes it impossible to send fines to foreign offenders.
Due to a malfunction in the so-called Eucaris system, which is responsible for exchanging traffic data between EU countries, Dutch, German and Austrian drivers can temporarily not be traced for traffic violations committed in Italy.
With the system offline, Italy is left with thousands of unpaid fines.

Vacationers escape fines

For vacationers who have driven just a little too enthusiastically through the Tuscan hills, this almost feels like a gift.
For many, it simply means not getting their fine.
But don’t rejoice too soon.
The Italian government officially has a year to send out fines, and the glitch is likely to be resolved soon.
That means the fine could still come, but the chances are getting slimmer that everything will be sorted out in time.

Municipalities lose revenue

While some tourists breathe a sigh of relief, Italian municipalities have less reason to rejoice.
Traffic fines make up a significant portion of local revenues, especially in tourist regions where thousands of fines are handed out each year.
Many local governments rely on fine revenue for maintenance and other municipal expenses.

Rental cars make it even harder

If you were driving around Italy in a rental car this summer, it’s even harder for Italian authorities to send you a fine.
Rental companies are often exempt from the responsibility of providing accurate driver information.
This makes offenders in a rental car virtually elusive to the Italian police, even if the fine system were to function again.

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