The worst Italian driving habits - according to Italians
From seatbelts to speeding, a new survey shows Italians admit to being more than a little cavalier about sticking to the letter of the Highway Code.
When it comes to assessing their own driving skills, Italians aren't the most objective of critics, rating themselves 9 out of 10 as motorists according to a 2023 study (they rated other drivers 5.4 on average).
But they're not incapable of acknowledging they don't always follow the rules to the letter, as a new survey shows.
A study by the mUp Research and Norstat research institutes, commissioned by insurance websites facile.it and assicurazione.it, quizzed Italians about their driving habits, from seatbelts to phone use and speed limit compliance.
Over 27 percent of those surveyed admitted to not respecting speed limits, rising to over 37 percent in the 25-34 age range.
Men were by far the worst offenders, with as many as 35 percent breaking the speed limit, compared to 19 percent of woman. The least law-abiding part of the country was the northeast, where 40 percent said they ignored the limit.
READ ALSO: Phones and seatbelts: Study reveals how often Italian drivers break the rules
Just under a quarter of Italians said they use cell phones while driving, with men and women offending equally - though this figure reached 34 percent among those aged 35-44.
20 percent of people in the same age range said they don't wear seatbelts, while 23 percent of all road users in the south of the country and the island regions of Sicily and Sardinia say they drive seatbelt-free.
Over half of all respondents admitted to breaking the Highway Code, with age playing a significant role: 65 percent of drivers aged between 35 and 44 said they don't always comply with the law, compared to one third of over-65s.
More than 10 percent of drivers say they regularly park illegally, rising to 13 percent in the northeast.
When it comes to drink driving, just over four percent say they get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol, and almost seven percent in the 24-34 age range.
Italy saw an average of 437 road accidents per day in the first half of 2023, according to SkyTG24, resulting in between seven and eight daily fatalities and 588 injuries.
Last June the transport ministry announced tightened road rules, including higher fines and a licence suspension of between seven and 20 days for those caught using a mobile phone behind the wheel.
The changes are expected to come into force in early 2024, though no date has yet been announced.
Italy is currently in the midst of a national debate over speed limits and road safety after the city of Bologna introduced a limit of 30km/h in the city centre, a measure that Italy's right-wing transport minister has said he plans to reverse.
A speed camera vandal dubbed 'Fleximan' by the Italian press has divided public opinion in recent days, with some praising the vigilante as caped crusader, while others accuse the saboteur of deliberately putting lives at risk.
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When it comes to assessing their own driving skills, Italians aren't the most objective of critics, rating themselves 9 out of 10 as motorists according to a 2023 study (they rated other drivers 5.4 on average).
But they're not incapable of acknowledging they don't always follow the rules to the letter, as a new survey shows.
A study by the mUp Research and Norstat research institutes, commissioned by insurance websites facile.it and assicurazione.it, quizzed Italians about their driving habits, from seatbelts to phone use and speed limit compliance.
Over 27 percent of those surveyed admitted to not respecting speed limits, rising to over 37 percent in the 25-34 age range.
Men were by far the worst offenders, with as many as 35 percent breaking the speed limit, compared to 19 percent of woman. The least law-abiding part of the country was the northeast, where 40 percent said they ignored the limit.
READ ALSO: Phones and seatbelts: Study reveals how often Italian drivers break the rules
Just under a quarter of Italians said they use cell phones while driving, with men and women offending equally - though this figure reached 34 percent among those aged 35-44.
20 percent of people in the same age range said they don't wear seatbelts, while 23 percent of all road users in the south of the country and the island regions of Sicily and Sardinia say they drive seatbelt-free.
Over half of all respondents admitted to breaking the Highway Code, with age playing a significant role: 65 percent of drivers aged between 35 and 44 said they don't always comply with the law, compared to one third of over-65s.
More than 10 percent of drivers say they regularly park illegally, rising to 13 percent in the northeast.
When it comes to drink driving, just over four percent say they get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol, and almost seven percent in the 24-34 age range.
Italy saw an average of 437 road accidents per day in the first half of 2023, according to SkyTG24, resulting in between seven and eight daily fatalities and 588 injuries.
Last June the transport ministry announced tightened road rules, including higher fines and a licence suspension of between seven and 20 days for those caught using a mobile phone behind the wheel.
The changes are expected to come into force in early 2024, though no date has yet been announced.
Italy is currently in the midst of a national debate over speed limits and road safety after the city of Bologna introduced a limit of 30km/h in the city centre, a measure that Italy's right-wing transport minister has said he plans to reverse.
A speed camera vandal dubbed 'Fleximan' by the Italian press has divided public opinion in recent days, with some praising the vigilante as caped crusader, while others accuse the saboteur of deliberately putting lives at risk.
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