Italy has introduced new rules for the use of speed cameras on its roads.
The regulations stipulate a minimum distance between individual devices, and that the cameras may only be used above a certain speed, for example, only when the maximum speed is 50 kilometres per hour in urban areas.
The new rules, which were published in the Official Gazette on Tuesday, also stipulate when drivers must be made aware of the speed cameras. Warnings of cameras outside built-up areas must be displayed at least 1 kilometre in advance.
Speed cameras that have already been installed can be adapted to the new regulations within the next 12 months. After this period, the devices will be dismantled.
Transport Minister Matteo Salvini, from the far-right League party, posted on the online platform X that speed cameras were created to ensure greater safety and fewer accidents, but all too often have been exploited to make money and harass citizens.
The consumer protection organization Codacons estimates there are around 11,300 speed cameras on Italian roads, more than any other country in Europe. Foreign holidaymakers are particularly vulnerable to being caught out by the traps.
Codacons welcomed the new rules, which it said would save motorists from the flood of fines, and stopped the abuse of the devices by some Italian municipalities.