New traffic reform in Italy will affect car rentals. Photo: WildSnap / Shutterstock If you are planning a vacation in Italy and expect to drive on its roads, you should familiarize yourself with the new rules that could cost you dearly.
The most dramatic change for tourists concerns the system for collecting fines from foreign residents, as the Italian government now operates advanced enforcement systems designed to ensure that fines issued to vehicles registered abroad or to foreign drivers are collected in full.
While in the past many foreign drivers were able to avoid paying reports they received while on vacation, the new reform closes these loopholes and creates closer cooperation with car rental companies and international enforcement authorities to ensure that every report reaches its destination and is paid.
Another area that will require tourists to be extra careful is the new mechanism for calculating fines for excessive speeding, which is becoming much more linear and stricter, especially on highways.
On interurban roads where the speed limit is 130 kilometers per hour, 10 euros will be added to the fine for each kilometer in excess of the limit, so that driving at a speed of 140 kilometers per hour will lead to an automatic fine of 100 euros, while exceeding the speed limit of 170 kilometers per hour will result in a heavy fine of 400 euros.
On urban roads or in crowded tourist areas where the limits are 30 or 50 kilometers per hour, the excess rate will be 5 euros per kilometer beyond the law.
While traveling on Italy's congested highways, tourists will also need to pay close attention to the motorcycle traffic around them, as new rules for two-wheelers now allow them to use the shoulder lanes during traffic jams and slowdowns.
This change requires car owners to be more vigilant when crossing lanes in traffic jams to prevent accidents with passing motorcycles. The government also places special emphasis in the reform on protecting vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists in large cities, so that failure to yield the right of way or careless driving near them will result in stricter and more uncompromising penalties than before.
In terms of timetables, it is important to know that the new rules are not yet immediately effective. The government office has circulated the working document for comments from professional bodies until September 2026, with the bill expected to be voted on and approved by the Italian Parliament in October 2026. This means that the new laws and upgraded collection systems are expected to enter into full and binding force on the ground towards the end of 2026 or the beginning of 2027.
To avoid emotional distress and inflated charges, it is recommended to implement a number of practical tips with car rental companies following the tightening of the laws. First, it should be taken into account that rental companies are required by law to transfer the foreign driver's details to the local police within a short time of receiving the query about the offense.
Second, rental companies automatically charge your credit card an administrative fee for each report filed in your name, which can range from €40 to €80 per report, regardless of the amount of the fine. It is recommended to take photos of the vehicle from all angles when collecting and returning it, and to ask the rental company for an official, digital copy of the original police report to verify the exact time and location of the offense, thus preventing billing errors on their part.