Road Travel Report: Italy
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ROAD TRAVEL REPORT: ITALY KNOW BEFORE YOU GO… The safety record of public transportation generally is good. The country’s motorization rate is among the highest in Europe. The road network is well developed in the northern section of the country and less well developed and maintained in the south. Metro systems are available only in Rome, Milan, Naples and Genoa. Rail systems are lacking in southern Italy except in Naples, Bari and some minor cities. Funding for road improvement projects has increased Driving is not permitted in most historic city centers. sharply. Improvements include installation of additional Free street parking is generally available in newer areas street and traffic lights, paving of road shoulders, of cities. Park-and-ride lots in outlying areas are often a upgrading of heavily traveled sections of road, good option. construction of more roundabouts and upgrading of Many city streets are narrow, winding, and congested. large cities’ ring roads and tunnels. Use heightened caution in mountainous areas. The adoption of many EU-recommended driving regulations, along with stepped-up enforcement and Rome is not pedestrian friendly. Traffic is heavy. road safety education programs has resulted in Pedestrians are numerous. Sidewalks are narrow or may significant reduction in road fatalities and injuries in be lacking. Motorists may not stop for pedestrians in recent years. zebra crossings. The fatality rate per 100 million vehicle kilometers in The Emilia-Romagna region’s road fatality rate is much Italy is 2.1 compared to 1.0 in the US. higher than the national average for Italy. ROAD REALITIES DRIVER BEHAVIORS Drivers may be impatient with tourists who slow down Driver compliance with the rules of the road is to look at sites. increasing. Compliance tends to decrease the further Compliance with seat belt requirements has increased south you travel. over 30%. Excessive speed, alcohol/drug use and driver fatigue, When a driver wishes to pass you, pull over slightly especially for long-distance drivers, contribute to road onto the shoulder. crashes. When passing another vehicle, flash your headlights Even on narrow roads, drivers may drive irresponsibly, indicating that you want driver to move right. With few overtake at blind curves, drive on the wrong side of the exceptions, passing on the right is not permitted. road or ignore lane markings. On two-lane highways, where lanes are wider, drivers Drivers may tailgate, ignore red lights, drive on the often attempt to pass from the same lane. sidewalk, cut other drivers off, and zoom around each other, crisscrossing through wide intersections. ROAD TRAVEL REPORT: ITALY 1 © ASIRT 2007 Drivers of commercial and private vehicles may travel o Most are toll roads. Many require tolls be paid in cash and pass other vehicles at very high speeds on or by “Viacard” (obtainable from toll booths, gas Autostrade. stations and tocacconists, and Autogrills). All blue Flashing headlights indicate drivers’ intent to have the lanes, marked “Viacard”, at toll stations accept Viacards right of way. or major credit cards. o Toll lanes marked “Telepass” or “T” are for electronic Motorcycles, motor scooters and mopeds are common. pay-toll passes. Driving through without a “Telepass” Their drivers often consider themselves exempt from results in a 50 euro fine and payment of the toll from driving regulations. Drivers may pass irresponsibly or the longest distance. drive on sidewalks to pass slower traffic. Use great caution if renting a motor scooter. o Tolls tend to be high. o Tolls are charged, except south of Naples. The road fatality rate for drivers and passengers in motorized vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians is highest o Tolls are not charged for the following stretches: in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region. Non-residents Salerno–Reggio Calabria, Palermo–Catania, and account for about 25% of these fatalities. Palermo–Mazara Del Vallo. o Hitchhicking is not legal. GENERAL ROAD CONDITIONS Strade Comunali There are over 300,000 km (185,500 miles) of roads, o Called white roads (Strade bianche) These roads are 6531.8 km (4,058.67 miles) of which are Autostrade or shown on some maps as white lines outlined in black. superhighways. Maps indicate the poorest roads by a white line outlined with a broken black line. Italy has a rugged coastline and many mountainous regions. The Alps separate much of the country is o Conditions vary from good to poor. Narrow rural separated from the rest of Europe. The Apennines roads. May be paved. Many are dirt or light colored Mountains extend from Liguria down the central gravel. portion of Italy’s east coast to Sicilia. o Travel is slow. These roads generally have little traffic. Drivers going up narrow one-lane mountainous roads o Some have stone walls at the side, making it difficult usually yield to a vehicle coming down. Back up until for oncoming vehicles to pass. One driver may have to reaching a pull out and allow the other vehicle to pass. back up to wider section of road to allow the other driver to pass. TYPES OF ROADS IN ITALY o Can be muddy in winter and dusty in summer. o Autostrades (toll expressways) Secondary roads are well maintained and are toll free. o Superstrade (toll-free expressways) Shoulders may be unpaved. o Strade Stratali (main roads) Some tunnels where mountains meet the sea lack o Strade Provinciali (secondary roads) lighting. o Strade Comunali (local roads) “Y” intersections are frequent on highways. Know in Autostrades: advance which way to go; destinations may not be o U-turns are not legal. posted. o Parking/stopping is permissible only in parking lanes Problems associated with road construction zones: or emergency parking areas. o Guidelines for managing traffic flow or minimizing o 66% of autostrade have been resurfaced with “draining safety concerns in construction zones are often lacking. pavement”—a surface that quickens flow of water from o Frequency and severity of road crashes is higher in the road surface, reduces noise and improves road work zones, especially in rural areas where average safety. speeds are higher. o Work upgrading lighting, ventilation, traffic o Motorway work areas may lack barriers to separate monitoring and fire fighting systems in motorway opposing traffic. tunnels began in 2005. Completion scheduled in 2009. o Roadside barriers may increase road risk in both rural o Roads are well maintained; traffic typically moves at and urban areas. rates of high speed. Signs are green. ROAD TRAVEL REPORT: ITALY 2 © ASIRT 2007 o Warning signs may be lacking or poorly positioned. o St. Gotthard Tunnel, to Switzerland: Maximum speed is o Temporary road markings may only partially cover 80 km/h (50 mph). Minimum traveling distance is 150 previous markings. meters (500 feet). A two-lane tunnel. Traffic is often o Facilities for pedestrian safety may be inadequate. heavy. Traffic jams are common. International road signs are used. For examples: o Frejus Tunnel: Links Italy’s Piedmont region with www.ideamerge.com/motoeuropa/roadsigns/. southeastern France. o Zernez (Switzerland)-Livigno (Italy) Tunnel: Also Road signs include the following: known as the Munt la Schera Tunnel. A one-lane o Attenzione or Avviso Warning tunnel. Direction of traffic flow changes about every 15 o Entrata Entrance minutes. Tunnel is closed from 8:00 pm to 6:00 am. o Incrocio Crossroads Open all year. o Lavori in corso Roadwork Ahead Toll-free mountain passes are more difficult to o Strada chiusa Road closed negotiate than passes that charge a toll. o Passaggio a Livello Level Crossing Alpine passes may close due to poor road conditions. o Rallentare Slow Down Contact ACI for current status. o Senso Vietata or Alpine border passes to France include: Vietato l'accesso No Entry o Piccolo San Bernardo, links Bourg St. Maurice and o Vietato Ingresso Aosta. Open June-October. Veicoli No Entry for Vehicles o Moncenisio (Mont Cenis, links Lanslebourg and Susa. o Sosta Autorizzata Parking Prohibited Open all year. o Sosta Vietata No Parking o Monginevro, links Briancon and Cesane. Open all year. o Svolta or Curve Bend o Maddalena, links Larche and Vinadio. Open May- o Uscita Exit October. o Tutte le Direzioni All Directions Tenda, links Nice and Cuneo. Open all year. o Tenere a Sinistra Keep Left o Gran San Bernardo, links Martigny and Aosta. Open o Tenere a destra Keep Right June-October. In northern Italy, be alert for ground fog, especially o Simplon Pass (Sempione), links Brig and Domodossola. during winter. Lower visibility due to fog is responsible Open May-October. for many multi-car road crashes. o Maloia, links Splug and Chiavenna. Open all year. Highway edges may have debris and deep puddles due o Bernina, links Pontresina, Poschiavo, and Tirano. Open to poor drainage. Deep puddles may be so deep they June-October. cause the car to hydroplane. o Umbrail, linksSanta Maria and Bormio. Open June- Tunnels to other countries include: October. Alpine border passes to Austria include: o Mont Blanc Tunnel, to France: Minimum speed, 50 km/h (31 mph); maximum speed, 70 km/h (44 mph). o Brenner, links Innsbruck and Vipiteno. Open all year. Tunnel has blue lights every 150 meters (492 feet), o Reschen, links Landeck and Merano. Open all year. corresponding to the minimum distance allowed o Passo di Monte Croce, links Kotschach and Timau. between vehicles. Also has emergency parking areas Open June-October. every 600 meters, SOS booths with fire extinguishers and phones every 100 meters and green safe shelters, URBAN TRAVEL indicated by flashing lights. Condition and maintenance of roads is fair. o San Bernardo Tunnel, to Switzerland: Minimum speed, 40 km/h (25 mph); maximum speed, 80 km/h (50 Drivers generally follow road rules and traffic lights, mph).