Driving in Italy part 7 — Fines: Pay or Avoid

Pay: Unlike the US where far too often law enforcement skulk in wait like jungle cats trapping unsuspecting wildebeest, traffic enforcement in Italy is built on deterrence. Italy actually warns you ahead of time. Ignore the warnings and the fines are stiff. Nowadays, most Italian roadway fines are generated electronically. You break the rule, your photo is taken, the locality traces the plate to the car rental company who then passes on the information both ways. How dare they? By renting a car with any company worldwide, you agree to their spilling the beans on you. For selling you out the car rental company automatically charges your credit card an administrative handling fee — yes, you agreed to this too. The administrative handling fee can be as high as 60 Euro, plus tax. The best part comes much later, sometimes six months to a year later, when you get notified by the authorities of the actual fine. The letter typically says the fine is doubled if paid 60 days beyond the due date. Wait, that was a year ago. The letter is usually back dated too. What to do?

1. You are not a EU citizen at the mercy of their laws.
2. Italy has no means of matching up infractions with your entry into the country — the day will come when the customs officer stamping your passport will also take a credit card to settle your past violations before letting you in. It’s just a matter of installing some software.
3. The car rental company could care less. Actually, every time there’s a late notice sent to them they get to charge the administrative fee all over again and for as long as you possess a valid driver’s license and credit card they will rent to you again and again.

What to do? Some people just throw the notices away. Others will attempt to pay by converting dollars to Euros and wiring the amounts to the necessary coordinates. Others will pay only if the dunning authority makes an effort to understand that they are dealing with foreigners, explains the matter in English and allows violators to pay fines online through a credit card. My advice is to pay the piper. Sooner or later he will catch up with you. Depending on how strapped and interlocked our global economy gets they may even reach across the pond someday to strike you retroactively in the comfort of your own home. The best advice is to avoid getting fined in the first place.