BARI – «Yes, travel, avoiding the hardest potholes, without falling into your fears»… sang Lucio Battisti. Inclined to push too enthusiastically on the accelerator pedal, exceeding the speed limit on 10,801 occasions (those recorded by the local police) in a year. So distracted that they ignored the road signs (the classic red light) 14,250 times, and the no stopping sign 69,637 times. For 144,763 circumstances in one year – 2023 – Bari road users violated the rules set by the municipal authority, of traffic in inhabited centres, from circulation restrictions to limited traffic areas and pedestrian areas, in addition obviously to areas parking and paid parking (the classic scratch).
The indiscipline especially of motorists and motorcyclists has brought more than 15 million euros into the municipal coffers, net of the proceedings archived or canceled during self-defense proceedings.
But not everyone violates regulations and highway code in the same way and above all to the same extent. In the black list of the most undisciplined neighbourhoods, Bari Vecchia firmly leads the ranking with 64,718 sanctions, followed by Murattiano with 38,548 confirmed violations, Libertà with 30,259. Outside the podium with 27,508 fines there are the so-called roads not codified in the road register, Picone, 22,793 and Carrassi 20,922.
Lasers and speed cameras punished 19,694 road users, while 55,647 subjects invaded restricted traffic zones. The street control, i.e. the system consisting of an infrared video camera and a camera mounted on the Municipal Police cars, has caught 42,366 traffic violators.
The people of Bari have not lost the habit of running red lights, there were 4,919 of them. Just as too many people from Bari still forget to have their car inspected (4,307 cases confirmed and sanctioned); they do not wear a protective helmet when riding a motorbike (128 fines), they regularly ignore the obligation to wear seat belts (2,216), they are unable to get away from their mobile phones (1,845 violations). Still. They regularly give in to the temptation to press on the accelerator pedal (10,801 fines), do not respect road signs (14,250 confirmed violations), do not comply with the obligation to have civil liability insurance (745 fines), ignore the stopping and parking (69,673 illegal parking sanctioned) or they do it irregularly (9,373). Overall, a really nice sample.
Penalties for lack of insurance coverage are increasing. A motorist (or motorcyclist) who causes an accident by driving a vehicle with expired insurance (or without insurance) is personally liable to pay compensation for damage caused to people or property. The owner of the uninsured vehicle is jointly liable with the driver who was driving at the time of the accident. The injured party can also use the so-called Road Victim Guarantee Fund, a tool that covers both personal and material damage.
The penalties for omitted inspections also increased, amounting to 4,307. Failure to have the car inspected is considered a serious infringement of the Highway Code, punished with severe financial and additional penalties. This is in fact a mandatory check to ensure that the vehicle is safe and suitable for road circulation. Failure to do so could lead to the confiscation of the vehicle in the most serious circumstances, or a rather steep fine for failure to inspect the car. The law provides for a fine of between 173 and 694 euros for those who drive with an expired inspection, without any grace period, furthermore in the event of a second violation the amount is doubled.
