Italy Puts the Brakes on Scooter Rebels

From the Times Online:

ITALIAN police may soon be given the power to confiscate scooters from riders travelling without a helmet or carrying too many passengers. A parliamentary bill expected to pass into law this autumn would enable police to take immediate action against anyone riding illegally. It marks a small revolution for the 10m Italians who use a scooter daily. For many, the obligation to wear a helmet not only violates their personal freedom but also cramps their style.

Interesting information about accidents in Italy:

The crackdown will not be easy to enforce. According to a survey by the Italian Automobile Club, 13% of scooter owners do not wear helmets and 15% carry more riders than they should. Although most teenagers have scooters designed for one rider, 50% admit that they often travel in pairs, keeping a lookout for police.

My favorite quote from the article:

In Naples it is common to see an entire family — father, mother and toddlers — riding a single scooter. Neapolitan police hand out 125,000 fines a year to offenders who fail to use a helmet or carry too many passengers, 10 times as many fines as in Milan or Rome. In law-abiding Florence, however, 99.7% of riders wear a helmet.

Read it in full here.

Comments

[Traggy]

Hi, here in Spain is similar in the South of the Country. Last summer I went to Cadiz in Andalucía and 3 on a Scooter was quite a common thing. In a couple of weeks I saw it like 5 times.