The third double velox in the city will light up on Friday. After those in viale Panzacchi and via Stalingrado, Speed control stations will also be activated in Viale Berti Pichat. This is the first double velox of five authorized by the Prefecture last July. On that stretch of avenues between Porta San Donato and Porta Mascarella, in both directions, exceeding 50 km per hour will be automatically sanctioned with a fine of 42 euros from 1 to 10 km/h over the limit, of 173 euros plus 3 points on the license from 11 to 40 km/h, of 543 euros plus 6 points license suspension from 41 to 60 km/h, 845 euros, plus 10 points and license suspension above 60 km/h (if the violation occurs between 10.01pm and 6.59am the value of the fine increases by 30%).
One of the most dangerous road sections in the city
The data released by the Municipality of Bologna on accident rates relating to 2022 and 2023 confirm the dangerousness of the stretch: 21 injured were recorded in Viale Berti Pichat. From the survey on the roads with the highest value of accident density (i.e. the ratio between the number of accidents caused by inadequate speed and the length of the road in km) in the period 2016-2021, this road section – informs Palazzo d’ Accursio – is among those with the highest number of accidents in Bologna. This will be the criterion for the positioning of the other upcoming veloxes. In fact, in the coming months, fixed devices for electronic speed detection will be activated in Viale Lenin, Viale Cavina, Viale Palmiro Togliatti and in Viale Sabena (the road with an underpass that connects the Ospedale Maggiore area to the Lazzaretto).
Flashing lights and displays installed
“The objective of the project is to reduce speed limit violations which can cause accidents or worsen their outcome” clarifies the Municipality. To «inform road users of the new devices and to limit sanctions as much as possible», upstream of all stations Signs have been installed reminding drivers of the 50 km/h speed limit with flashing lights and a display indicating the speed, temporary warning signals for electronic speed detection with a yellow background which will further highlight the presence of the devices, optical retarders and acoustic retarders for a certain period of time.
The ruling of the Court of Cassation
The lighting of the two veloxes in Berti Pichat comes at the height of the debate sparked by the recent ruling of the Court of Cassation on the approval of speed cameras. The protagonist of the case was a motorist who had been hit by a velox on a ring road in Northern Italy at 97 km/h instead of the prescribed 90 km/h. Following investigations, the equipment was found to be approved but not approved. And this led to the acceptance of the appeal for annulment brought by the motorist. The issue, however, for the municipal administration is another: make the streets of Bologna safer. And the first solution above all to achieve the objective is to slow down the speed of the vehicles that travel there daily. The new velox are therefore part of a broader discussion which includes the 30km/h speed introduced on most city streets.
The new highway code
Predictably, the new fixed devices will also be the basis for a debate that will also become political at a local level, as has already happened at a national level. The new highway code, Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini declared just three days ago as guest of Five Minutes on Rai1, «The bill must be approved by the summer because the objective is to save lives. So road education, checks, licenses withdrawn from those who drive while drugged, from those who abandon an animal along the road, which is an obscene act. Then, however, we will also put limits on what is not safety but is a hidden tax on motorists and I am thinking of speed cameras.”
