Benzina is actually a pretty accurate name cause it comes from "Benzene" which is the chemical name of the molecule of the liquid itself Petrol comes from the latin word "petrolium" but that is the raw material you extract from the ground, not the one you put into your car, we refere to it as "petrolio" in italian indeed
la benzina non e' benzene (e meno male, visto quanto e' cancerogeno e pericoloso), la benzina e' una miscela di idrocarburi, principalmente normal-esano, con l'aggiunta di antidetonanti tipo MTBE. il termine benzina deriva dal tedesco (all'epoca la chimica era dominata dalla germania), mentre come hai detto correttamente il termine petrolio deriva dal latino a indicare un "oleum" estratto dalle pietre (contrariamente a tutti gli altri oleum che, al tempo, erano estratti da piante e animali)
MOTORWAYS: On the Italian motorway, be careful to not miss your exit. There are no [///] [ // ] [ / ] warnings for exits plus there are no ways to turn around within the motorway system. Due to the tolls, exits are few and far between, you will have to carry on to the next exit, pay, turn around, then rejoin in the other direction back to your desired junction/exit. It is possible to loose 20-45 minutes trying to get back to where you wanted! SPEED LIMITS: In an effort to get Italians to slow down speed limits are often exaggeratedly slow. Generally you would be ok (and expected by the locals) to drive 5-10 km/h faster than the limit, of course as long as the road remains safe to do so.
@@Pwnzarelli i never said they were 40km+ apart just that I had to 40km to reach the exit because of my error, i admit it was my mistake for not going the right way and kept on taking wrong way for two times in a row 😭
@@RichardFanders The British _still_ have paper licences in 2024? How backward, stupid and bizarre! 🤣 Australia has been using photo card licences since the 1990s. Digital licences have been around since 2017. 🦘
@@user-kc1tf7zm3bwell maybe Oz has to renew their licenses every few years? In UK you get a license until you are 70 and as long as you do not have any driving infractions, you can keep it. Hence the fact I still have my old paper license 😊.
I agree with the Italian drivers driving super close to me when I was there. They also cut in your lane bordering dangerous 😢. However, the skill level seems to be higher than my home town of Vancouver Canada. Here people are mostly terrible with situational awareness. Here people just don't even know how wide their cars are. I had no problems in the narrow roads in the Amalfi area. A bit tense but no problems.
we know our cars well, cutting lanes is normal stuff here, with traffic its almost an obligation. Only when its free flowing no one cuts. Something you from north america should know is that we have different speed for each lane, so if you want to go slow stay on the right, a lot of italians (me included) cut off to someone going 80 in the middle lane because you cause traffic.
Whenever I watch non-italian car fails videos I'm always amazed at people's lack of awareness and how slow and avoidable most car crashes are, like you could literally have a lunch break in the time between the cars' collision and they still manage to hit each other.
I was waiting for this video, you are the best. In the south the quality of the roads is worse than in the north, I live in Sardinia and we are the only region without the motorway (autostrada). you should come here
As an Italian who has recently driven in the Uk for the first time, I feel driving in the Uk feels much safer because cars usually watch their distance. In Italy you pretty much get constant tailgating which is so unnecessarily stressful! Also, roundabouts in the Uk are very structured and guide you on the right way. In Italy people literally un-learn how to safely use roundabouts and their indicators, they exit roundabouts straight from the internal carriageway. Stay alert! And sorry
I think that depends on where in Italy or the UK you are driving. I live between Essex and Sardinia and I find much easier to drive in Sardinia than Essex where people tend to be quite aggressive.
@@csbm1997b there are many studies shows left side driving is safer and had less accidents this is one of that: Research in 1969 by J. J. Leeming showed countries driving on the left have a lower collision rate than countries driving on the right, although he acknowledged that the sample of left-hand rule countries he had to work with was small, and he was very careful not to claim that his results proved that the differences were due to the rule of the road. It has been suggested this is partly because humans are more commonly right-eye dominant than left-eye dominant. In left-hand traffic, the predominantly better-performing right eye is used to monitor oncoming traffic and the driver's wing mirror. In right-hand traffic, oncoming traffic and the driver's wing mirror are handled by the predominantly weaker left eye. In addition, it has been argued that left sided driving is safer for elderly people given the likelihood of their having visual attention deficits on the left side and the need at intersections to watch out for vehicles approaching on the near-side lane. Furthermore, in an RHD car with manual transmission, the driver maintains his or her right (i.e. in the majority of people, dominant) hand on the steering wheel at all times and uses their left hand to change gear. Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-_and_left-hand_traffic#Safety_factors
In Italy you can go up to 10% over the speed limits according to rules but tourists like this prejudiced guy don't know that. Sorry that this video has been made
Wrong and wrong. It’s not a percentage. You can go 5km/h over the speed limit for tolerances and you’ll be fine, but over that it’s theoretically speeding. Source: I live there
@@thenitropower “viene applicato uno sconto di 5 Km/h fino a 100 Km/h, mentre al di sopra di tale velocità la tolleranza è del 5% del valore eccedente.” Per la precisione
@@mr.archivitywrong. According to your statement if I go at 50km/h then the tolerance is 2.5km/h. That’s impossible to even keep track of reliably on a car speedo. The law guarantees 5km/h of tolerance of the speed limits if the tolerance in percentage is lower or equal than the 5km/h. At 130km/h, national speed limit, the tolerance in percentage would be 6.5km/h. Now try to distinguish that from 5km/h on your car speedometer while driving unless you have a digital one and you keep looking for your slightest change in speed. Just remember the 5km/h rule and you’ll be fine, even my driving instructor told me this when I got my license.
Sorry, I have only just seen this comment!! I drove direct to Stuttgart from Calais, through Belgium and Luxembourg before setting off through Austria to Verona the following day. My sat nav went a bit wobbly a couple of times on the way and probably caused 2 hours delay (my mrs will say that's me protecting my ego) I strongly recommend driving through Austria, beautiful place. Driving from Calais to Stuttgart was pretty bleak. Have you driven to Italy since your comment? (I actually drove at the end of August, since I wrote off the car I was going to drive there in June)
@@ionutroman7040 That depends on what you mean by "best", and whether Torino or Milano is your destination. Cheapest is turning East at Calais/Eurotunnel, going through Belgium/Strasbourg (or even keeping to the East side of the Rhine for minimum tolls!), then Basel / Gotthard (tunnel or pass), Lugano / Chiasso / Como / Milan. (Or Lugano / Mendrisio / Stabio / Varese / A26 / Torino). It's also one of the fastest routes to Milano, although going through Northern France to Reims and then Strasbourg can be marginally shorter/faster as there is usually less traffic. You get to Milano with no tolls other than €2.30 in Italy and the Swiss vignette (and even those are 'bypassable' if you really want - but it will add 6+ hours driving time). Milano - Torino is then another 150 km and €20 in tolls. For Torino, Calais / Reims / Dijon / Lyon / Modane-Frejus tunnel-Bardonecchia is quite a bit shorter/faster than going through Switzerland, but significantly more expensive in tolls (the Frejus tunnel by itself is more than the Swiss vignette) - €100 or so plus €90 tunnel in France (prices depend on whether you get a short-term or open return) plus €15 in Italy. The alternative Dijon / Geneva / Chamonix - Mont Blanc - Courmayeur / Aosta / Torino is shorter (km), and cheaper in tolls, but usually slower (€90 + €65 tunnel in France + €15 in Italy). Note that time of day when crossing/going around major cities (e.g. Bruxelles or Lyon) or natural obstacles (e.g. passes/tunnels) can make a significant difference to timing (spent in queues!) and thus overall cost in fuel. Most high passes are closed in winter, and tunnels are subject to periodic closures for maintenance, so some of the routes may simply be unavailable when you want to travel.
Well done, you represented the Italian driving experience very well. Often speed limits feel unreasonable and that they only care about making you break said limits to give you speeding tickets. Also this sign 14:27 is actually if you want to switch direction of the motorway, there is a road that allows you to do that without going out and back in. This sign has an arrow on the left, while the 110km/h road sign has not. Very easy to mistake😅
112 is the same emergency number in the EU states I think. At least in Sweden also. Can't wait to get my MX-5 to go on road trips in Europe! :D Great explanatory video mate! Keep staying awesome!
It even works in the UK, it's the co-official emergency number along with 999. In fact, it can work in many places around the world, at least on mobile phones. However, there doesn't seem to be very much awareness about it.
@@LRTOTAL No, usano tutte il 112. Se chiami il 115, 118, 113 ecc. la chiamata viene automaticamente reindirizzata alla sala operativa del 112, ciò è dovuto al fatto che molte persone chiamano per abitudine i numeri vecchi.
I am driving from Greece to North Italy this week and i can say that, You can easily be the host of a TV show !! Great work :) P.s Thanks for the "ride"
There are some motorways in Italy where you do need to go across to the second lane to avoid being filtered off. But I have yet to figure out how to spot these from the regular junction like the one you pointed out, that the inside lane carries on.The toll tags are a great addition on the EU toll roads and with most of the companies, they only charge you about €3 each month that you use it. So very reasonable to use, especially given the convenience.
On a main large street, if you see big square blue sign 🟦 it means you are on a "SS" or Strada Statale, if you see big green sign 🟩it means you are on a "A" or Autostrada (and "A" it's a paid road so you'll see tolls to pay). The name of main roads like SS or A are usually followed by a number like "A3" or "SS36" which are unique (there is only an A3 in all italy). There is also smaller tipes of roads called "SP" or Strada Provinciale.
Really helpful video. Thank you. I’d just like to understand a bit more of how to understand and navigate around the ZTL zones in order to get wherever you may be going.
having lived in both italy and england i have to say i find this video absolutely hilarious. richard's comments are all very very very english. and the way things are in italy is very very very typical italy. and the interactions between the two is that of: wtf mate why are you the way you are with richard being a typical english with sarcastic undertone to communicate his disapproval. and italians being full of expressiveness using their hands, their horns, their lights and everything to communicate their disapproval.
My god haha you were very near Rovereto, my city! Please do note that the road you followed to get to Torbole and lake Garda is very "touristy" so that's why it is well maintained. Though there is to say that roads in general are well kept. The speed limits unfortunately aren't followed as much and it is because, as you stated, many of them are too low. The sliproads, especially those on the A22 are pretty short so be sure to get up to speed as soon as possible
@@PointNemo9 They are indeed enforced though it is rare that you'll get a ticket for going 10 above the limit (even because almost everyone goes at that speed)
@@PointNemo9 It is pretty rare that you encounter any speed radar that is functioning (many of them are just dummy speed cameras). If you encounter one though, if you’re going under 100 km/h they subtract 5 km/h from your speed. If you’re going above 100, 5% of your speed is subtracted. Still, considering you’re going 60/65 km/h in a 50 zone it is very unlikely that you’ll get into trouble as a car’s speedometer is generally set to a much lower speed.
Appreciate you are doing this kind of video. Will you plan to drive in Naples in south Italy? Would love to watch it, it is very challenging and would be interesting.
Hi. Thank you very much you are the one who shows me how to turn steering wheel and know I passed yesterday second attempt with 7 minor Thank you to you and o my instructor.
Driving to speed 130 limit. Hahaha. We spent a week riding out Italy on the bike. Prolly saw 3 serious incidents, lost count of fender benders. Watch out in towns at 3;30 to 4:30 when the local factories let out. Madness. Like a stock car race.
one tip on roundbouts, even if you have way inside always expect some guy that will cut you off, even if they are not supposed to they do this constantly especially in big cities. Stay alert and stay safe.
In Italy, generally speaking, speed limits and other restrictions are not zonal, they end after an intersection, in fact it's quite rare to find a "end of speed limit" or a "end of all restrictions" sign. Also the acceleration lane is part of the road you're joining, not the ramp you're coming from; since you've already passed the "intersection" that joined the two road together, the national speed limit applies and you must accelerate to join the road's carriageway at a proper speed (acceleration and deceleration lanes are not part of the carriageway). Also the sign at 14:30 is not the begin of a major out-of-town road (one of the few zonal sign in italy btw) but it just says there's a ramp to make a U-turn 😂 I more or less agree with the rest of the complaints, especially those about the highway signage, whoever thought of it must never have left his office in Rome, those big directional arrows on the main carriageway lead the driver to think that that lane leaves the motorway!
As an Italian, I laughed my lungs out during the “speed limits” segment. The rules are as follow: 1: you only need to respect the limit (and by respect I mean going 10 km per hour above it, as the range in which you don’t get fined is +10 to 15) if there is a FUNCTIONING speed camera; they’re rare, but there are some 2: in a city you must NOT go below 50 if you are able to reach that speed. If you have someone in front who is going slower than that, you probably are in traffic 3: the actual non-urban speed limit is 70 km/h, but the average speed is 80 to 85. This is due to the fact that 70 is just not right in the vast majority of cases 4: horns are only used for people going slow. There really isn’t another scenario in which you might need the horn. Except for cyclists, they are obnoxious and go around paired up side by side so that you cannot get past them 5: when you get on a motorway you only have one limit: 130 km/h. And that is from the moment you pass the sign that tells you you’re entering a motorway. The 40 and 60 km/h are not real and are never monitored, plus it is dangerous respecting them, as you experienced yourself. 6: when you are on a road you don’t know, there will always be someone behind you that knows it and that will just tail you like a dog because whatever speed you choose will always be slower than what he wants. That’s how it works basically, when you know every corner, every camera, every possible police checkpoint and every pothole. If you are in front of someone like that, just get close to the side of the road and they will disappear in the distance doing 110 on a 50 km/h speed limit. Glad to know you enjoyed your stay, hope you’ll be back some time in the future :))
@@AthelstanEngland it's more fun to hold them up doing the speed limit, let them pass and then never lose sight of the back of them, despite how much they try. Usually ends up with them "conveniently" stopping in a layby or a petrol station that they were oh so rushing to.
Speed traps need to be clearly indicated with sign board before. That is why it's not very risky to go over speed limit. We have a point system on our driving licence, going over limit by less than 10km/h no points are subtracted. On the "autostrada", 130 km/h speed limit,I often travel at 137 km/h because 5% of the speed is subtracted and the fine is calculated on the result. Ie: no fine. I get on average about 1 fine every year and pay less then €40.
In friuli dove vivo io ci sono diversi autovelox con il cartello o attaccato a dov'è il velox, o dietro a alberi e cose varie. Inoltre in certi posti si imboscano con il loro velox portatile Mi ricorda un po quando mia madre lavorava per la motorizzazione in romania e le dicevano "oggi devi fare tot multe"
Among cities, towns and villages in: - US states and territories, NYC is the only one of which I'm aware of turns on red being banned unless otherwise noted - Canada, Montreal is the only one of which I'm aware of there being a blanket ban on turns on red I found the video "Turning Right at a Red Light," put up by the Conduite Facile RUclips man on his channel, very useful for anyone looking to drive in any of the above places. His claim of "Remember, when turning at a red light, you're last in terms of priority" (from the 2:20 to 2:25 mark of that video) pretty much sums up what I plan to remind any driver seeking to get a full automatic transmission car licence. Whether turns on red should be allowed likely will be a matter of debate for as long as I am alive.
I found being a pedestrian in Italy really stressful also. You just have to step out in front of cars and trust that they are going to stop for you or you'll never be able to cross the road.
15:19 most European countries don’t give out penalty points for minor speeding offences... so you may often only get a low fine of €50 or whatever for anything up to 20 km/h over the limit in some European countries although I don’t know the exact situation in Italy this is different from the UK system of simply giving a flat fine regardless of the speed the person was going.
42€ to 173€ if your going less than 10 km/h and no points. 173€ to 694€ if you're going more than 10 km/h but less than 40 km/h over the limit, and you lose 3 points (or 6 if you got your license for less than 3 years)
Its the same with any local area, I'm very familiar with my home town and I know where all the hiding spots are for the cops and where the speed cameras are, they only move them once a year or less and not all at the same time. You learn where the rules can be bent and where you need to keep glued to the limit 😉
4:50 those are empty boxes used for speed cameras, most of the time empty. To work they require an officer to be present and operate it, so you can spot if it's an empty one or not
4:49 yesn't. Speed cameras are actually gray or blue, that orange one is more of a socket where cops actually put a speed camera in. ( things are weird not long ago they were declared illegal as they are not omolagated, but they can still be used if a patrol of cops is close to it) From what I understand.
12:13 I believe, that you can just call 999, 112 or 911 in every EU country, and it will just direct you to the emergency service number (in case there are more (for example 112 for police, 111 for ambulance etc.) it usually goes to the police)
I think you've misunderstood the round white sign with a / on it. This is not the national speed limit, it's the sign that says that the last speed limit you've seen it's over, and you can go with the top speed of that kind of road, you don't just "assume" to speed again after road works etc...
He was speaking English with "National Speed Limit" - But Italy also has "National Speed Limit" being 50 in biult up areas, 90 out of town and 130 on motorway. The / sign means End of previous speed limit.
Actually speed limits “changes” are void after the “end of prescription” sign or after the first crossroad that isn’t a driveway of a home (rule of thumb: if it has a different name, it cancels the previous prescription). So if there’s a 70km/h limit then a crossroad then nothing the limit was there for the crossroad and after that the limit is 90 again.
GREAT video, you should consider coming to my hometown of Toronto, Canada, and try driving the highway 401 often considered the busiest motorway in the world. Goes from two lanes in either direction in the outskirts To as wide as 16 lanes in Toronto.
Just drove around southern Italy for a week thanks to your video! If you embrace the chaos/IDGAF attitude the locals have it's alright, certainly happy to be back on UK roads!
We have a saying here in Slovenia, that the worst slovenian drivers on our roads are italians and I really do believe that's true. Just from my own experience, a disproportionate number of cars with an italian numberplate will tailgate and/or lane hog the overtaking lane going 105 in a 130 limit (which most people go 5 to 10 over). The fine is 20eur (if you pay in 16 days, otherwise it doubles) and you can go up to 158km/h including the radar error compensation. The max you can go without getting points on your licence is 179km/h gps (with radar error, 170 without) and you only pay 60eur (doubles in 16 days). You get 9 points for anything over 190km/h (+ radar error) and a 600eur fine (again doubles). The max points you can drive with is 17 and 7 for an unexperienced driver (under 2 years experience if over 21yo or anyone younger than 21). Speeding anywhere else tho, especially in towns will quickly get your license revoked, since the points are higher, with a lower threshold of getting them, for example going 61 in a 50 you are getting 3 points + 65eur fine
As an Italian I drove in Slovenia years ago. I believe it is not correct to generalize based on nationality, at least for two reasons, first because, as you know, many Italians who live immediately across the border know your roads and your traffic very well, and second because other Italian tourists try to drive as best as possible to avoid (unpleasant) accidents in foreign territory.
Pro tips for driving in Sicily. 1. Never put your phone down. And remember, texting while driving is a skill that needs to be practiced. 2. Drive as fast and reckless as possible. When you see pedestrians or bicyclists on the road, don’t slow down. Try to see how dangerously close you can get without hitting them. Especially at crosswalks. The same rule applies to driving near motorcyclists on the autostrada. 3. When entering a roadway or intersection, never look in the direction of the oncoming traffic. Only look in the direction that you want to drive. If there’s traffic, block the oncoming cars and wait until there is an opening in the lane you need. And of course, never use your indicators. 4. Ignore all speed limits and stop signs. When at a traffic light, honk your horn as soon as the light turns green. Don’t be shy, horns are made for honking. 5. Parking. Make sure that when double parking you block as much traffic as possible. 6. If the car or motorcyclist in front of you is not going as fast as you want, be sure to tailgate at least a half meter from their bumper. Don’t forget to dangerously pass whenever possible, even on blind corners.
Seems odd that the green and blue signs are the other way round in Italy. IT: Green signs: motorways Blue signs: main road (equivalent to A roads in UK) or dual carriageways UK: Green signs: main road Blue signs: motorways Cause signs on motorways are blue in UK, France, Germany and most EU countries but Italy has to be different.
In Croatia is the same way as in Italy. I had no idea it was different in UK, France, Germany. I wish all Europe would just stick to the same signs and rules.
I think that it's actually more common to have green for motorway in Europe. I think the UK, France and Germany may be the different ones on this occasion. In fact as far as I can tell, some people laugh at the UK for having to be different. For example, driving on the over side of the road, 3 pin plugs and front brake of a bicycle on the right side are three things that come to mind. I'm reminded of this as my other half is from Poland and she always says the UK has to be different.
Same thing in Switzerland and Denmark! Also in Denmark and some other European countries, the furthest away destination is always listed first on signs and the nearest is listed last! Whereas in the UK, signs list from nearest destination to furthest.
Oh, and by the way Mr. Fanders, if you keep your MX-5 until next summer, we could do a meetup in for instance, the Netherlands or something? Take care!
10:34 *In caso di nebbia,* did you know what does it defines to an English language? It literally means "in case of fog" that the visibility is reduced.
Just found this video while I'm in vacation Ireland with a motorhome. While driving here from Italy we went from Dover to Fishguard in Wales, and I have to say that it was very tiring driving in the UK. First of all the signs on the road (meaning the one painted) are not clear at all, also there are a couple of thing that do not make sense, one of they you mentioned in your video: The motorway lanes that split every time is very confusing and does not make sense, you have to switch lane all the time especially if you have a slow vehicle like a motorhome. Another thing that does not make sense are traffic lights on roundabouts... Just... Why 😂 These two things are in my opinion responsible for the most infuriating thing on Uk roads: TRAFFIC JAMS. Never been in so many traffic jams during such a short period of time, it was very annoying. In Ireland the situation is far better, but also I guess is not as densely populated as the UK so I believe there is less traffic
It's a very informative video! Thank you! One question, though: Is it allowed to attach a camera to the front windshield in Italy? I want to drive around with a GoPro and capture landscapes. Thank you from Japan.
When I think of toll passes, E-ZPass, an e-toll collection system in place across much of the contiguous US, comes to mind. If only tolls were used to more property maintain the roads in the NYC metro area, at least on bridges and motorways that head into Manhattan.
another tip: if you can always avoid refuel in autostrade, gas stations in autostrade are more expensive by default, always refuel before entering the autostrada (99% of the times there will be a gas station nearby the autostrada entry).
My car has the UK badge and Union Jack on the number plates but doesn't have blue backing in that area of the number like on your car. Is that going to be an issue?
Road fatality rate per 100,000 is 20.5 around here :)))) Although the tolls are not that appaling here, most of motorways charge you based off of ANPR cameras then you'll have 48 hours to pay the toll in one of the apps otherwise you'll get fined by the police for each segment that you didn't pay for.
Hello from Oz. Thankyou for these very helpful videos. We are picking up a hire car in Rome..later this year. It has been 36yrs since I last drove on the Right (France). I’m very nervous to be honest but there isn’t another practical option to hiring a car as we need to bring a lot of luggage (to our new house:). I will be very stressed with tailgating and will hate every minute of it. Any tips for keeping calm..? 🇦🇺
Try not to pay too much attention to other drivers, avoid eye contact unless necessary and focus on yourself. Do what you think is safe and rise above the pressure. Take your time so you reduce the risk of harsh braking and accept you will annoy some people, but try to make it water off a duck's back and enjoy your time on the road in comfort.
A question about the beams. Can you adjust how the lights are positioned in the headlamp to change the beam pattern or is the actual headlamp designed to reflect the light differently on each side?
I personally find driving in Italy a stressful experience, and it’s a shame as the landscapes are so picturesque. The majority of drivers tailgate and flash their lights if you’re driving at the speed limit. If you increase your speed, you can easily get fined if you don’t know where the speed checks are. On most motorways, drivers overtake from both sides and often weave through traffic as if they’re playing a video game. Hardly anyone gives way when entering a junction or during traffic queues. I find driving in the UK a much more relaxed experience, potholes aside, of course :D
Sometimes the local police or the municipality lowers the speed limit because it’s too much of a hassle to secure a road for the 90 km/h but if you’re a local you just know the road and know where it’s safe and where it’s not. On a major road near my house they lowered the limit from 90 to 70 but you still do 120-140 if you’re in a hurry😂
Traffic is a dynamical system where each node must follow whatever the speed of flow is, otherwise there will be points of stress (for instance a moving road block such as yourself) that cause issues. You have done this a lot in this video. Don't fight against flow speed this much solely to be in the limit, as the limits are very very low and you very often see a limit of 50 on a road without pedestrian crossings, roundabouts, lights, nothing - perfect road, with a sign that govern the 40 year old Renault 9 in the same pool as your Mx5. Drive the speed for which the road, the conditions, the traffic allows. In Italy, Greece, and Turkey included this is the case (I haven't been to Spain but given their famously well paved roads and similar Mediterrenean outlook on life, I'd reckon it's not much different). Please don't come round here and drive slower than what is necessiated by the traffic flow. I know you are biding by the rules but it is you who created some danger as much as the person doing 150 when the conditions necessitate 100. It's always enjoyable when us northerners come down around here for the first time and act like this in the traffic :-) The speed limits here are more recommended speeds than actual limits I have always thought (been living south of Europe for 12 years now) and I'm not joking with this but by driving the limit with a queue behind you, you caused quite a bit of danger for those at the rearmost of the queue. Remember, safest for each node in a flow is to move the speed the surrounding conditions, all things considered, necessitates. I do miss driving in the UK, it was way more comfortable and not much slower - however, when you are the outlier, again - you are one of those causing danger.
Yeah most people determine their speed judging by the design of road and therefore how fast it appears to be safe. Or you just know where speed cameras or police checkpoints are 😂
People seem very impatient there like the car that was flashing there lights at you past the road works, speeding through roadworks is selfish because your puting the road maintenance workers life at risk. Anyway hope you had a nice time In Italy :)
I think I may have picked up a couple more. But they're all so small that I only see them when cleaning. I tend to get chips more from road driving than track driving surprisingly. This car chips much more easily than my Leon which has 185,000 miles on it yet has less chips.
You forgot to say that the warning triangle needs to be placed at least 50 metres back from the car so drivers get ample warning there is a broken down car ahead.
Thanks man! I have a question: would you recommend the mx5 to a car enthusiast (myself)? Considering that my gf has another car, with 4 seats and more luggage space. Ciao
I'm a car enthusiast and I adore my MX5. I recommend it. But if you want torque and throw you back in your seat performance, it's not this car's strong point.
@@RichardFanders thanks, I’ll go for the soft top, 2.0 liters. Enough power and handling for italian roads. Btw, I suggest you one famous romanian road: Transfagarasan. Trust me
Speed limit may be increased to 10% according to official rules. So you were the one who was going against the rules not knowing about this. I am really sorry and disturbed that people claim all Italians are against the rules
having lived in both UK and Italy, obviously Italy is worse... but it the city, the accidents are benign... a bit like uh little scratches and bumper dents. I also lived in the US for a long time, and it is far worse there, it'd be interesting to see a video of UK driving instructor driving in the US... esp. like Southern California or Bay Area or Texas 😭💀
@@PointNemo9 it depends, idk too much about North, I lived in the South, its a lot poorer and less developed... but generally, locals know where the speed traps and cameras are... so they just slow down for the segment and speed the rest of the way, like any other country really. rural mountain roads, at least since last time I was there, only had cameras when entering a village. also, as u saw in th3 video, a lot of the enforcement infrastructure is not maintained, so some Italian equivalent of a the british "chav" may cover the older cameras with paint (prolly not owning a car themselves 😅) or a shrub will obstruct the older cameras all together. also, and probably most importantly, depending on the day/road, most of the cameras remain turned off. in the North its different though, many more developed highways and enforcement methods im not familiar with. a lot of people incur penalties as a toll, I've heard 😅. it's like any other country really. u really should have no trouble driving in Italy as long as u follow the majority of the traffic. in the cities, its different, u have to follow the traffic laws bc fines and prices grow really quickly depending on time, speed, etc.
@@PointNemo9 generally they are enforced with fixed speed cameras that must be signalled with a proper sign, so if you pay attention you can slow down everytime there's a speed camera
@@RichardFanders thought so. I couldn’t imagine how expensive it would be to get your car over the Atlantic. Then you may need to change your plates to american plates.
I recently passed my test and will be in Italy in July though not experienced on italian roads so not sure how I would do with this haha interesting to know. Can someone do a conversion for speed from kph to mph 😅
Italians wont respect speed limits cause they are ridiculously low for the most part, but, with the exception of some idiots, we respect speed limits within urban areas ...for obvious reasons
To anyone watching this video in December 2024, please note that fines for speeding and illegal parking in Italy are now much higher after the Italian government decided to triple them (they need more money in their already fat pockets). The +10km/h rule may still apply, but be more careful if you are on a budget. Another tip: try to follow the flow of traffic. If you see locals speeding a bit, it's probably safe to do so, but don't over-do it. If you see them slowing down, do it because they may know that speed cameras or police could be ahead. Waze is widely used in Italy and kept updated by Italians especially when it comes to speed cameras, police, traffic and construction, make sure to install it before you decide to travel here.
First rule of driving in Italy is “he who has the bigger balls goes first”. Also, try to avoid having UK number plates - the Italians really don’t like the poms! Needed an Australian flag on the car - people were way nicer to us once they realised we were not British!!
the give way to the right thing, so you are going through a town on what you would call the main road, there is a road joining on the right with no give way markings, do you give way to anyone starting to exit that road?
Well, I don't think there's a single person in Italy who complies with the 40 km/h speed limit on slip roads. :-) Anyway, hope you enjoyed your stay in Italy!
it's actually very convenient on mountains, you can easily see cliff sides or walls depending which direction you go, gives you more confidence - but annoying in toll booths
That would be a massive barrier to driving abroad if that were the case. Where I live in Scotland I see a handful of foreign registered cars driven by tourists each day, they would probably never visit if they couldn't drive their own cars or motorhomes over here.
If you have a certain disability (no right hand or short right arm, for example), you are obliged to have a right hand drive car, so you can use your good left arm.
When I stayed in Rome (Valle Aurelia) I'd often see vans bumping cars in front and behind where they wanted to park so that they could wedge themselves in. If you want to drive in Rome, don't bring a nice car!
Benzina is actually a pretty accurate name cause it comes from "Benzene" which is the chemical name of the molecule of the liquid itself
Petrol comes from the latin word "petrolium" but that is the raw material you extract from the ground, not the one you put into your car, we refere to it as "petrolio" in italian indeed
Benzin is also fuel in Turkish!
@@master0fnoneAnd Russian
la benzina non e' benzene (e meno male, visto quanto e' cancerogeno e pericoloso), la benzina e' una miscela di idrocarburi, principalmente normal-esano, con l'aggiunta di antidetonanti tipo MTBE. il termine benzina deriva dal tedesco (all'epoca la chimica era dominata dalla germania), mentre come hai detto correttamente il termine petrolio deriva dal latino a indicare un "oleum" estratto dalle pietre (contrariamente a tutti gli altri oleum che, al tempo, erano estratti da piante e animali)
@@dariomariabalice1699🤓
then theres americans that just call it gas when its literally a liquid
MOTORWAYS: On the Italian motorway, be careful to not miss your exit. There are no [///] [ // ] [ / ] warnings for exits plus there are no ways to turn around within the motorway system. Due to the tolls, exits are few and far between, you will have to carry on to the next exit, pay, turn around, then rejoin in the other direction back to your desired junction/exit. It is possible to loose 20-45 minutes trying to get back to where you wanted!
SPEED LIMITS: In an effort to get Italians to slow down speed limits are often exaggeratedly slow. Generally you would be ok (and expected by the locals) to drive 5-10 km/h faster than the limit, of course as long as the road remains safe to do so.
Right, first time on Italian Autostrada, I had to do 80km+ of extra distance to get back on the right road
@@rohan_3128 what?! exits are not 40+km apart! and some of them do not even have tolls
@@Pwnzarelli i never said they were 40km+ apart just that I had to 40km to reach the exit because of my error, i admit it was my mistake for not going the right way and kept on taking wrong way for two times in a row 😭
@@rohan_3128 I know the feeling.
I'm driving from Milan to Rome in October and this video has really helped me. Thank you!!
I hope you have a good trip!
@@RichardFanders The British _still_ have paper licences in 2024? How backward, stupid and bizarre! 🤣
Australia has been using photo card licences since the 1990s. Digital licences have been around since 2017. 🦘
@@user-kc1tf7zm3bwell maybe Oz has to renew their licenses every few years? In UK you get a license until you are 70 and as long as you do not have any driving infractions, you can keep it. Hence the fact I still have my old paper license 😊.
I agree with the Italian drivers driving super close to me when I was there. They also cut in your lane bordering dangerous 😢. However, the skill level seems to be higher than my home town of Vancouver Canada. Here people are mostly terrible with situational awareness. Here people just don't even know how wide their cars are. I had no problems in the narrow roads in the Amalfi area. A bit tense but no problems.
Probably because we have a lot of narrow streets, full of curves, so you need to be really aware of the dimensions of your car
we know our cars well, cutting lanes is normal stuff here, with traffic its almost an obligation. Only when its free flowing no one cuts. Something you from north america should know is that we have different speed for each lane, so if you want to go slow stay on the right, a lot of italians (me included) cut off to someone going 80 in the middle lane because you cause traffic.
Whenever I watch non-italian car fails videos I'm always amazed at people's lack of awareness and how slow and avoidable most car crashes are, like you could literally have a lunch break in the time between the cars' collision and they still manage to hit each other.
I was waiting for this video, you are the best.
In the south the quality of the roads is worse than in the north, I live in Sardinia and we are the only region without the motorway (autostrada). you should come here
As an Italian who has recently driven in the Uk for the first time, I feel driving in the Uk feels much safer because cars usually watch their distance. In Italy you pretty much get constant tailgating which is so unnecessarily stressful! Also, roundabouts in the Uk are very structured and guide you on the right way. In Italy people literally un-learn how to safely use roundabouts and their indicators, they exit roundabouts straight from the internal carriageway. Stay alert! And sorry
I think that depends on where in Italy or the UK you are driving. I live between Essex and Sardinia and I find much easier to drive in Sardinia than Essex where people tend to be quite aggressive.
it's because of left side driving(UK..) which is safer and has less accidents than countries drive on the right side like Italy
@saidibrahim5931 I doubt it being intrinsically safer. I think it's the better driving culture.
@@csbm1997b there are many studies shows left side driving is safer and had less accidents this is one of that:
Research in 1969 by J. J. Leeming showed countries driving on the left have a lower collision rate than countries driving on the right, although he acknowledged that the sample of left-hand rule countries he had to work with was small, and he was very careful not to claim that his results proved that the differences were due to the rule of the road. It has been suggested this is partly because humans are more commonly right-eye dominant than left-eye dominant. In left-hand traffic, the predominantly better-performing right eye is used to monitor oncoming traffic and the driver's wing mirror. In right-hand traffic, oncoming traffic and the driver's wing mirror are handled by the predominantly weaker left eye. In addition, it has been argued that left sided driving is safer for elderly people given the likelihood of their having visual attention deficits on the left side and the need at intersections to watch out for vehicles approaching on the near-side lane. Furthermore, in an RHD car with manual transmission, the driver maintains his or her right (i.e. in the majority of people, dominant) hand on the steering wheel at all times and uses their left hand to change gear.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-_and_left-hand_traffic#Safety_factors
@@saidibrahim5931 interesting thanks
Don't be so stiff, just drive 10km/h above speed limit and you're be OK. It's also within tolerance for speedometer, especially as MX 5 driver...
In Italy you can go up to 10% over the speed limits according to rules but tourists like this prejudiced guy don't know that. Sorry that this video has been made
@@francescofilippi2824the “safety limit” is 5%, not 10%
Wrong and wrong. It’s not a percentage. You can go 5km/h over the speed limit for tolerances and you’ll be fine, but over that it’s theoretically speeding. Source: I live there
@@thenitropower “viene applicato uno sconto di 5 Km/h fino a 100 Km/h, mentre al di sopra di tale velocità la tolleranza è del 5% del valore eccedente.”
Per la precisione
@@mr.archivitywrong. According to your statement if I go at 50km/h then the tolerance is 2.5km/h. That’s impossible to even keep track of reliably on a car speedo. The law guarantees 5km/h of tolerance of the speed limits if the tolerance in percentage is lower or equal than the 5km/h. At 130km/h, national speed limit, the tolerance in percentage would be 6.5km/h. Now try to distinguish that from 5km/h on your car speedometer while driving unless you have a digital one and you keep looking for your slightest change in speed. Just remember the 5km/h rule and you’ll be fine, even my driving instructor told me this when I got my license.
I'm driving to Verona from Manchester in July and this video has really helped to clarify a few things. Excellent video.
Beautiful place!
@@RichardFanders did you drive to Italy from the UK? If so, which route was best for you?
Sorry, I have only just seen this comment!! I drove direct to Stuttgart from Calais, through Belgium and Luxembourg before setting off through Austria to Verona the following day. My sat nav went a bit wobbly a couple of times on the way and probably caused 2 hours delay (my mrs will say that's me protecting my ego) I strongly recommend driving through Austria, beautiful place. Driving from Calais to Stuttgart was pretty bleak. Have you driven to Italy since your comment? (I actually drove at the end of August, since I wrote off the car I was going to drive there in June)
@@myaphextwin807 what is the best route from calais to milan/torino ???? do you know how much will cost the tolls in france , what about italy ??
@@ionutroman7040 That depends on what you mean by "best", and whether Torino or Milano is your destination. Cheapest is turning East at Calais/Eurotunnel, going through Belgium/Strasbourg (or even keeping to the East side of the Rhine for minimum tolls!), then Basel / Gotthard (tunnel or pass), Lugano / Chiasso / Como / Milan. (Or Lugano / Mendrisio / Stabio / Varese / A26 / Torino). It's also one of the fastest routes to Milano, although going through Northern France to Reims and then Strasbourg can be marginally shorter/faster as there is usually less traffic. You get to Milano with no tolls other than €2.30 in Italy and the Swiss vignette (and even those are 'bypassable' if you really want - but it will add 6+ hours driving time). Milano - Torino is then another 150 km and €20 in tolls.
For Torino, Calais / Reims / Dijon / Lyon / Modane-Frejus tunnel-Bardonecchia is quite a bit shorter/faster than going through Switzerland, but significantly more expensive in tolls (the Frejus tunnel by itself is more than the Swiss vignette) - €100 or so plus €90 tunnel in France (prices depend on whether you get a short-term or open return) plus €15 in Italy. The alternative Dijon / Geneva / Chamonix - Mont Blanc - Courmayeur / Aosta / Torino is shorter (km), and cheaper in tolls, but usually slower (€90 + €65 tunnel in France + €15 in Italy).
Note that time of day when crossing/going around major cities (e.g. Bruxelles or Lyon) or natural obstacles (e.g. passes/tunnels) can make a significant difference to timing (spent in queues!) and thus overall cost in fuel. Most high passes are closed in winter, and tunnels are subject to periodic closures for maintenance, so some of the routes may simply be unavailable when you want to travel.
I've lived in Italy a few years now and just bought my first car and this video has helped me so much - many thanks!
Me, an Italian man, double checking the rules just in case:
Well done, you represented the Italian driving experience very well. Often speed limits feel unreasonable and that they only care about making you break said limits to give you speeding tickets.
Also this sign 14:27 is actually if you want to switch direction of the motorway, there is a road that allows you to do that without going out and back in. This sign has an arrow on the left, while the 110km/h road sign has not. Very easy to mistake😅
112 is the same emergency number in the EU states I think. At least in Sweden also. Can't wait to get my MX-5 to go on road trips in Europe! :D Great explanatory video mate! Keep staying awesome!
Some Italian regions still use older numbers (112 carabinieri, 113 police, 115 firefighters and 118 ambulance).
It even works in the UK, it's the co-official emergency number along with 999. In fact, it can work in many places around the world, at least on mobile phones. However, there doesn't seem to be very much awareness about it.
@@LRTOTAL No, usano tutte il 112. Se chiami il 115, 118, 113 ecc. la chiamata viene automaticamente reindirizzata alla sala operativa del 112, ciò è dovuto al fatto che molte persone chiamano per abitudine i numeri vecchi.
Great tips!
3:58: Speed limits
5:05: Min speed limit sign on motorway
10:36: Speed limit reduces in fog: 50 kph
11:42: Petrol and Diesel in Italian.
I am driving from Greece to North Italy this week and i can say that,
You can easily be the host of a TV show !!
Great work :)
P.s Thanks for the "ride"
There are some motorways in Italy where you do need to go across to the second lane to avoid being filtered off. But I have yet to figure out how to spot these from the regular junction like the one you pointed out, that the inside lane carries on.The toll tags are a great addition on the EU toll roads and with most of the companies, they only charge you about €3 each month that you use it. So very reasonable to use, especially given the convenience.
On a main large street, if you see big square blue sign 🟦 it means you are on a "SS" or Strada Statale, if you see big green sign 🟩it means you are on a "A" or Autostrada (and "A" it's a paid road so you'll see tolls to pay). The name of main roads like SS or A are usually followed by a number like "A3" or "SS36" which are unique (there is only an A3 in all italy). There is also smaller tipes of roads called "SP" or Strada Provinciale.
Really helpful video. Thank you. I’d just like to understand a bit more of how to understand and navigate around the ZTL zones in order to get wherever you may be going.
Pray there's nobody behind, slam the breaks, turn around.
Really good to watch, thank you.
having lived in both italy and england i have to say i find this video absolutely hilarious.
richard's comments are all very very very english.
and the way things are in italy is very very very typical italy.
and the interactions between the two is that of: wtf mate why are you the way you are
with richard being a typical english with sarcastic undertone to communicate his disapproval.
and italians being full of expressiveness using their hands, their horns, their lights and everything to communicate their disapproval.
Enjoyed it thoroughly. Without any intention of traveling to Italy whatsoever 👍🤓
My god haha you were very near Rovereto, my city! Please do note that the road you followed to get to Torbole and lake Garda is very "touristy" so that's why it is well maintained. Though there is to say that roads in general are well kept.
The speed limits unfortunately aren't followed as much and it is because, as you stated, many of them are too low.
The sliproads, especially those on the A22 are pretty short so be sure to get up to speed as soon as possible
I agree the limits are too low, I think it's a bad way to try and increase safety. Ridiculous restrictions only leads to people ignoring it.
How do drivers in Italy get away with so much speeding? Are limits not enforced?
@@PointNemo9 They are indeed enforced though it is rare that you'll get a ticket for going 10 above the limit (even because almost everyone goes at that speed)
@@pax0034 So at what speed are they actually enforced? In the UK they are usually enforced at 10% over the limit plus 2.
@@PointNemo9 It is pretty rare that you encounter any speed radar that is functioning (many of them are just dummy speed cameras). If you encounter one though, if you’re going under 100 km/h they subtract 5 km/h from your speed. If you’re going above 100, 5% of your speed is subtracted.
Still, considering you’re going 60/65 km/h in a 50 zone it is very unlikely that you’ll get into trouble as a car’s speedometer is generally set to a much lower speed.
Appreciate you are doing this kind of video. Will you plan to drive in Naples in south Italy? Would love to watch it, it is very challenging and would be interesting.
Hi. Thank you very much you are the one who shows me how to turn steering wheel and know I passed yesterday second attempt with 7 minor Thank you to you and o my instructor.
Congratulations on passing!
Driving to speed 130 limit. Hahaha. We spent a week riding out Italy on the bike. Prolly saw 3 serious incidents, lost count of fender benders. Watch out in towns at 3;30 to 4:30 when the local factories let out. Madness. Like a stock car race.
one tip on roundbouts, even if you have way inside always expect some guy that will cut you off, even if they are not supposed to they do this constantly especially in big cities. Stay alert and stay safe.
Very useful video. Thanks! Heading there tomorrow so all this is good to know!
In Italy, generally speaking, speed limits and other restrictions are not zonal, they end after an intersection, in fact it's quite rare to find a "end of speed limit" or a "end of all restrictions" sign. Also the acceleration lane is part of the road you're joining, not the ramp you're coming from; since you've already passed the "intersection" that joined the two road together, the national speed limit applies and you must accelerate to join the road's carriageway at a proper speed (acceleration and deceleration lanes are not part of the carriageway). Also the sign at 14:30 is not the begin of a major out-of-town road (one of the few zonal sign in italy btw) but it just says there's a ramp to make a U-turn 😂
I more or less agree with the rest of the complaints, especially those about the highway signage, whoever thought of it must never have left his office in Rome, those big directional arrows on the main carriageway lead the driver to think that that lane leaves the motorway!
Not a lot of potholes, try the ss131/130 in Sardinia
not just sardinia, just the non rich northern italy parts. rome is atrocious.
As an Italian, I laughed my lungs out during the “speed limits” segment. The rules are as follow:
1: you only need to respect the limit (and by respect I mean going 10 km per hour above it, as the range in which you don’t get fined is +10 to 15) if there is a FUNCTIONING speed camera; they’re rare, but there are some
2: in a city you must NOT go below 50 if you are able to reach that speed. If you have someone in front who is going slower than that, you probably are in traffic
3: the actual non-urban speed limit is 70 km/h, but the average speed is 80 to 85. This is due to the fact that 70 is just not right in the vast majority of cases
4: horns are only used for people going slow. There really isn’t another scenario in which you might need the horn. Except for cyclists, they are obnoxious and go around paired up side by side so that you cannot get past them
5: when you get on a motorway you only have one limit: 130 km/h. And that is from the moment you pass the sign that tells you you’re entering a motorway. The 40 and 60 km/h are not real and are never monitored, plus it is dangerous respecting them, as you experienced yourself.
6: when you are on a road you don’t know, there will always be someone behind you that knows it and that will just tail you like a dog because whatever speed you choose will always be slower than what he wants. That’s how it works basically, when you know every corner, every camera, every possible police checkpoint and every pothole. If you are in front of someone like that, just get close to the side of the road and they will disappear in the distance doing 110 on a 50 km/h speed limit.
Glad to know you enjoyed your stay, hope you’ll be back some time in the future :))
Sono contento di sapere che non sono l'unico a fare velocità da ritiro patente nella mia strada di routine
AHAHAHAH best comment ever
It's a source of pride in a hire car to actually catch up an Italian and sit on their arse, arm waving is an added bonus!!! :) PS. It's rare!!
@@AthelstanEngland it's more fun to hold them up doing the speed limit, let them pass and then never lose sight of the back of them, despite how much they try. Usually ends up with them "conveniently" stopping in a layby or a petrol station that they were oh so rushing to.
@@karthouw you're drunk
I absolutely like your travel videos!
Speed traps need to be clearly indicated with sign board before.
That is why it's not very risky to go over speed limit.
We have a point system on our driving licence, going over limit by less than 10km/h no points are subtracted.
On the "autostrada", 130 km/h speed limit,I often travel at 137 km/h because 5% of the speed is subtracted and the fine is calculated on the result. Ie: no fine. I get on average about 1 fine every year and pay less then €40.
In friuli dove vivo io ci sono diversi autovelox con il cartello o attaccato a dov'è il velox, o dietro a alberi e cose varie. Inoltre in certi posti si imboscano con il loro velox portatile
Mi ricorda un po quando mia madre lavorava per la motorizzazione in romania e le dicevano "oggi devi fare tot multe"
“Did you pay?” He asks as he moves off hahaha, really enjoy your videos Richard, do you have one for France coming up?
Haha, good point, the barrier opened so I was going. Yes, France coming soon.
Hi Richard , I passed my driving test your videos very helpful.you explain everything very good.I like your videos.
Among cities, towns and villages in:
- US states and territories, NYC is the only one of which I'm aware of turns on red being banned unless otherwise noted
- Canada, Montreal is the only one of which I'm aware of there being a blanket ban on turns on red
I found the video "Turning Right at a Red Light," put up by the Conduite Facile RUclips man on his channel, very useful for anyone looking to drive in any of the above places. His claim of "Remember, when turning at a red light, you're last in terms of priority" (from the 2:20 to 2:25 mark of that video) pretty much sums up what I plan to remind any driver seeking to get a full automatic transmission car licence. Whether turns on red should be allowed likely will be a matter of debate for as long as I am alive.
Thanks mate, I'm back to Italy for few days and watching your video reminded me how to drive here :D
Three years ago me and my family went to Italy by car. We had to pay a ton of tolls there.
at 14:28 that sign is easily misunderstandable, that sign means that you can turn back and go to the opposite direction
I found being a pedestrian in Italy really stressful also. You just have to step out in front of cars and trust that they are going to stop for you or you'll never be able to cross the road.
15:19 most European countries don’t give out penalty points for minor speeding offences... so you may often only get a low fine of €50 or whatever for anything up to 20 km/h over the limit in some European countries although I don’t know the exact situation in Italy this is different from the UK system of simply giving a flat fine regardless of the speed the person was going.
42€ to 173€ if your going less than 10 km/h and no points. 173€ to 694€ if you're going more than 10 km/h but less than 40 km/h over the limit, and you lose 3 points (or 6 if you got your license for less than 3 years)
I think it's more because you generally know where speed camera are or where the police set up checks
Its the same with any local area, I'm very familiar with my home town and I know where all the hiding spots are for the cops and where the speed cameras are, they only move them once a year or less and not all at the same time. You learn where the rules can be bent and where you need to keep glued to the limit 😉
wow, the video begins and i see my home town Verona
Beautiful place!
as an Italian, the moment I read the title I thought "oh no... I'm sorry..."
4:50 those are empty boxes used for speed cameras, most of the time empty. To work they require an officer to be present and operate it, so you can spot if it's an empty one or not
I didn't know that.
But only on urban road (where general limit is 50) on country road primary road and motorways those traps may work unattended.
4:49 yesn't. Speed cameras are actually gray or blue, that orange one is more of a socket where cops actually put a speed camera in. ( things are weird not long ago they were declared illegal as they are not omolagated, but they can still be used if a patrol of cops is close to it) From what I understand.
Nah, manority if the orange ones are just hollow bodies.
12:13 I believe, that you can just call 999, 112 or 911 in every EU country, and it will just direct you to the emergency service number (in case there are more (for example 112 for police, 111 for ambulance etc.) it usually goes to the police)
I think you've misunderstood the round white sign with a / on it. This is not the national speed limit, it's the sign that says that the last speed limit you've seen it's over, and you can go with the top speed of that kind of road, you don't just "assume" to speed again after road works etc...
He was speaking English with "National Speed Limit" - But Italy also has "National Speed Limit" being 50 in biult up areas, 90 out of town and 130 on motorway. The / sign means End of previous speed limit.
@@thetrampit Yes indeed, but there is no "assume"...
Actually speed limits “changes” are void after the “end of prescription” sign or after the first crossroad that isn’t a driveway of a home (rule of thumb: if it has a different name, it cancels the previous prescription). So if there’s a 70km/h limit then a crossroad then nothing the limit was there for the crossroad and after that the limit is 90 again.
Lots of good info, even for us yanks. Thanks mate 😊
GREAT video, you should consider coming to my hometown of Toronto, Canada, and try driving the highway 401 often considered the busiest motorway in the world. Goes from two lanes in either direction in the outskirts To as wide as 16 lanes in Toronto.
Me and my Family Drived on this street too as we go to Sicily 😄
Just drove around southern Italy for a week thanks to your video! If you embrace the chaos/IDGAF attitude the locals have it's alright, certainly happy to be back on UK roads!
Great video 📹 👍 very practical 😊❤
We have a saying here in Slovenia, that the worst slovenian drivers on our roads are italians and I really do believe that's true. Just from my own experience, a disproportionate number of cars with an italian numberplate will tailgate and/or lane hog the overtaking lane going 105 in a 130 limit (which most people go 5 to 10 over).
The fine is 20eur (if you pay in 16 days, otherwise it doubles) and you can go up to 158km/h including the radar error compensation. The max you can go without getting points on your licence is 179km/h gps (with radar error, 170 without) and you only pay 60eur (doubles in 16 days). You get 9 points for anything over 190km/h (+ radar error) and a 600eur fine (again doubles). The max points you can drive with is 17 and 7 for an unexperienced driver (under 2 years experience if over 21yo or anyone younger than 21). Speeding anywhere else tho, especially in towns will quickly get your license revoked, since the points are higher, with a lower threshold of getting them, for example going 61 in a 50 you are getting 3 points + 65eur fine
As an Italian I drove in Slovenia years ago. I believe it is not correct to generalize based on nationality, at least for two reasons, first because, as you know, many Italians who live immediately across the border know your roads and your traffic very well, and second because other Italian tourists try to drive as best as possible to avoid (unpleasant) accidents in foreign territory.
Pro tips for driving in Sicily.
1. Never put your phone down. And remember, texting while driving is a skill that needs to be practiced.
2. Drive as fast and reckless as possible. When you see pedestrians or bicyclists on the road, don’t slow down. Try to see how dangerously close you can get without hitting them. Especially at crosswalks.
The same rule applies to driving near motorcyclists on the autostrada.
3. When entering a roadway or intersection, never look in the direction of the oncoming traffic. Only look in the direction that you want to drive. If there’s traffic, block the oncoming cars and wait until there is an opening in the lane you need. And of course, never use your indicators.
4. Ignore all speed limits and stop signs. When at a traffic light, honk your horn as soon as the light turns green. Don’t be shy, horns are made for honking.
5. Parking. Make sure that when double parking you block as much traffic as possible.
6. If the car or motorcyclist in front of you is not going as fast as you want, be sure to tailgate at least a half meter from their bumper. Don’t forget to dangerously pass whenever possible, even on blind corners.
Seems odd that the green and blue signs are the other way round in Italy.
IT:
Green signs: motorways
Blue signs: main road (equivalent to A roads in UK) or dual carriageways
UK:
Green signs: main road
Blue signs: motorways
Cause signs on motorways are blue in UK, France, Germany and most EU countries but Italy has to be different.
In Croatia is the same way as in Italy. I had no idea it was different in UK, France, Germany. I wish all Europe would just stick to the same signs and rules.
I think that it's actually more common to have green for motorway in Europe. I think the UK, France and Germany may be the different ones on this occasion. In fact as far as I can tell, some people laugh at the UK for having to be different. For example, driving on the over side of the road, 3 pin plugs and front brake of a bicycle on the right side are three things that come to mind. I'm reminded of this as my other half is from Poland and she always says the UK has to be different.
Same thing in Switzerland and Denmark! Also in Denmark and some other European countries, the furthest away destination is always listed first on signs and the nearest is listed last! Whereas in the UK, signs list from nearest destination to furthest.
🤡
Oh, and by the way Mr. Fanders, if you keep your MX-5 until next summer, we could do a meetup in for instance, the Netherlands or something? Take care!
10:34 *In caso di nebbia,* did you know what does it defines to an English language? It literally means "in case of fog" that the visibility is reduced.
Just found this video while I'm in vacation Ireland with a motorhome. While driving here from Italy we went from Dover to Fishguard in Wales, and I have to say that it was very tiring driving in the UK. First of all the signs on the road (meaning the one painted) are not clear at all, also there are a couple of thing that do not make sense, one of they you mentioned in your video: The motorway lanes that split every time is very confusing and does not make sense, you have to switch lane all the time especially if you have a slow vehicle like a motorhome. Another thing that does not make sense are traffic lights on roundabouts... Just... Why 😂
These two things are in my opinion responsible for the most infuriating thing on Uk roads: TRAFFIC JAMS.
Never been in so many traffic jams during such a short period of time, it was very annoying. In Ireland the situation is far better, but also I guess is not as densely populated as the UK so I believe there is less traffic
It's a very informative video! Thank you!
One question, though: Is it allowed to attach a camera to the front windshield in Italy? I want to drive around with a GoPro and capture landscapes. Thank you from Japan.
The toll problem for a drive hand car is a problem in the UK. The Dartford tunnel.
When I think of toll passes, E-ZPass, an e-toll collection system in place across much of the contiguous US, comes to mind. If only tolls were used to more property maintain the roads in the NYC metro area, at least on bridges and motorways that head into Manhattan.
another tip: if you can always avoid refuel in autostrade, gas stations in autostrade are more expensive by default, always refuel before entering the autostrada (99% of the times there will be a gas station nearby the autostrada entry).
I’m confused at the bit where the passenger had to lean out the window for something, was it for a car park?
It's to pay the toll to use the Motorway.
And I'm an italian resident and it happened that I have been tailgated by Carabinieri (kind of main police force) in an urban road.
My car has the UK badge and Union Jack on the number plates but doesn't have blue backing in that area of the number like on your car. Is that going to be an issue?
You don't need the blue backing anymore.
Road fatality rate per 100,000 is 20.5 around here :))))
Although the tolls are not that appaling here, most of motorways charge you based off of ANPR cameras then you'll have 48 hours to pay the toll in one of the apps otherwise you'll get fined by the police for each segment that you didn't pay for.
That's very high, where are you?
@@RichardFanders Iran
Hello from Oz. Thankyou for these very helpful videos.
We are picking up a hire car in Rome..later this year. It has been 36yrs since I last drove on the Right (France). I’m very nervous to be honest but there isn’t another practical option to hiring a car as we need to bring a lot of luggage (to our new house:).
I will be very stressed with tailgating and will hate every minute of it. Any tips for keeping calm..? 🇦🇺
Try not to pay too much attention to other drivers, avoid eye contact unless necessary and focus on yourself. Do what you think is safe and rise above the pressure. Take your time so you reduce the risk of harsh braking and accept you will annoy some people, but try to make it water off a duck's back and enjoy your time on the road in comfort.
A question about the beams. Can you adjust how the lights are positioned in the headlamp to change the beam pattern or is the actual headlamp designed to reflect the light differently on each side?
Do you mean his car or your car? If yours, which model do you have?
@@lmenus any car in general with halogen bulbs
There are different types depending on your car. Some are fixed, some areas adjustable and some are automatic.
It normally says what you have to do in the owner's manual.
15:13 It's pretty simple really, we just to whatever we want and there's rarely any police to stop us and fine us
I personally find driving in Italy a stressful experience, and it’s a shame as the landscapes are so picturesque. The majority of drivers tailgate and flash their lights if you’re driving at the speed limit. If you increase your speed, you can easily get fined if you don’t know where the speed checks are. On most motorways, drivers overtake from both sides and often weave through traffic as if they’re playing a video game. Hardly anyone gives way when entering a junction or during traffic queues. I find driving in the UK a much more relaxed experience, potholes aside, of course :D
I live in Italy and I have rarely issues. You probably have been in a large city
I agree perfecty with you. When I drive outside Italy it's a much better relaxing experience.
Italy just sucks with road education.
Sometimes the local police or the municipality lowers the speed limit because it’s too much of a hassle to secure a road for the 90 km/h but if you’re a local you just know the road and know where it’s safe and where it’s not. On a major road near my house they lowered the limit from 90 to 70 but you still do 120-140 if you’re in a hurry😂
How would you pay if you didn’t have a passenger?
Walk around I guess. I'm yet to be in that situation.
Traffic is a dynamical system where each node must follow whatever the speed of flow is, otherwise there will be points of stress (for instance a moving road block such as yourself) that cause issues. You have done this a lot in this video. Don't fight against flow speed this much solely to be in the limit, as the limits are very very low and you very often see a limit of 50 on a road without pedestrian crossings, roundabouts, lights, nothing - perfect road, with a sign that govern the 40 year old Renault 9 in the same pool as your Mx5. Drive the speed for which the road, the conditions, the traffic allows. In Italy, Greece, and Turkey included this is the case (I haven't been to Spain but given their famously well paved roads and similar Mediterrenean outlook on life, I'd reckon it's not much different). Please don't come round here and drive slower than what is necessiated by the traffic flow. I know you are biding by the rules but it is you who created some danger as much as the person doing 150 when the conditions necessitate 100.
It's always enjoyable when us northerners come down around here for the first time and act like this in the traffic :-) The speed limits here are more recommended speeds than actual limits I have always thought (been living south of Europe for 12 years now) and I'm not joking with this but by driving the limit with a queue behind you, you caused quite a bit of danger for those at the rearmost of the queue.
Remember, safest for each node in a flow is to move the speed the surrounding conditions, all things considered, necessitates. I do miss driving in the UK, it was way more comfortable and not much slower - however, when you are the outlier, again - you are one of those causing danger.
Yeah most people determine their speed judging by the design of road and therefore how fast it appears to be safe. Or you just know where speed cameras or police checkpoints are 😂
According to rules you can go up to 10% over the speed limits but tourists do not know that
People seem very impatient there like the car that was flashing there lights at you past the road works, speeding through roadworks is selfish because your puting the road maintenance workers life at risk. Anyway hope you had a nice time In Italy :)
I did thank you, Lake Garda and Verona are very beautiful.
You’re doing 60 when you could be going 150 ffs
Any road chips after such a massive journey?
I think I may have picked up a couple more. But they're all so small that I only see them when cleaning. I tend to get chips more from road driving than track driving surprisingly. This car chips much more easily than my Leon which has 185,000 miles on it yet has less chips.
@@RichardFanders Mazdas gram saving strategy for lightness 🤣 thin paint maybe?
You mention taking an MOT certificate but I haven't seen this as a requirement when looking for info.
It's advice I found when doing research. I think it's belts and braces just in case.
You forgot to say that the warning triangle needs to be placed at least 50 metres back from the car so drivers get ample warning there is a broken down car ahead.
Very useful
Thanks man! I have a question: would you recommend the mx5 to a car enthusiast (myself)? Considering that my gf has another car, with 4 seats and more luggage space.
Ciao
I'm a car enthusiast and I adore my MX5. I recommend it. But if you want torque and throw you back in your seat performance, it's not this car's strong point.
@@RichardFanders thanks, I’ll go for the soft top, 2.0 liters. Enough power and handling for italian roads. Btw, I suggest you one famous romanian road: Transfagarasan. Trust me
Thanks a lot!
Thanks. Helpful video. Looks stressful driving there with all the tailgating. Not looking forward to it.
I did find driving in Italy a bit stressful. I received little respect for trying to follow their rules in their country.
Speed limit may be increased to 10% according to official rules. So you were the one who was going against the rules not knowing about this. I am really sorry and disturbed that people claim all Italians are against the rules
How much are the tolls
Sorry, I can't remember now. We didn't spend that much from memory though.
The tolls are more expensive than France get a ulys toll pass will do france and Italy
where do you get your polo's from?
I think that one is Jack Wills.
having lived in both UK and Italy, obviously Italy is worse... but it the city, the accidents are benign... a bit like uh little scratches and bumper dents. I also lived in the US for a long time, and it is far worse there, it'd be interesting to see a video of UK driving instructor driving in the US... esp. like Southern California or Bay Area or Texas 😭💀
I've not been to the US yet but hopefully will go at some point.
How do drivers in Italy get away with so much speeding? Are limits not enforced?
@@PointNemo9 it depends, idk too much about North, I lived in the South, its a lot poorer and less developed... but generally, locals know where the speed traps and cameras are... so they just slow down for the segment and speed the rest of the way, like any other country really. rural mountain roads, at least since last time I was there, only had cameras when entering a village. also, as u saw in th3 video, a lot of the enforcement infrastructure is not maintained, so some Italian equivalent of a the british "chav" may cover the older cameras with paint (prolly not owning a car themselves 😅) or a shrub will obstruct the older cameras all together. also, and probably most importantly, depending on the day/road, most of the cameras remain turned off. in the North its different though, many more developed highways and enforcement methods im not familiar with. a lot of people incur penalties as a toll, I've heard 😅. it's like any other country really. u really should have no trouble driving in Italy as long as u follow the majority of the traffic. in the cities, its different, u have to follow the traffic laws bc fines and prices grow really quickly depending on time, speed, etc.
@@RichardFanders throw in canada too some drivers here race along streets and don't care about stop lights
@@PointNemo9 generally they are enforced with fixed speed cameras that must be signalled with a proper sign, so if you pay attention you can slow down everytime there's a speed camera
I know this sounds expensive. But could you do these type of videos in America? United States?
I may do in the future but I don't currently have any plans.
@@RichardFanders thought so. I couldn’t imagine how expensive it would be to get your car over the Atlantic. Then you may need to change your plates to american plates.
I recently passed my test and will be in Italy in July though not experienced on italian roads so not sure how I would do with this haha interesting to know. Can someone do a conversion for speed from kph to mph 😅
that sign with a slash means return to normal speed limit, you dont have to assume anything
Italians wont respect speed limits cause they are ridiculously low for the most part, but, with the exception of some idiots, we respect speed limits within urban areas ...for obvious reasons
Lmfaoooo i loved every second of this vid😂❤
To anyone watching this video in December 2024, please note that fines for speeding and illegal parking in Italy are now much higher after the Italian government decided to triple them (they need more money in their already fat pockets). The +10km/h rule may still apply, but be more careful if you are on a budget.
Another tip: try to follow the flow of traffic. If you see locals speeding a bit, it's probably safe to do so, but don't over-do it. If you see them slowing down, do it because they may know that speed cameras or police could be ahead. Waze is widely used in Italy and kept updated by Italians especially when it comes to speed cameras, police, traffic and construction, make sure to install it before you decide to travel here.
First rule of driving in Italy is “he who has the bigger balls goes first”.
Also, try to avoid having UK number plates - the Italians really don’t like the poms! Needed an Australian flag on the car - people were way nicer to us once they realised we were not British!!
You are exhaggerating. It is really not bad
OK
Lo hai pronunciato bene in caso di nebbia , bravo
They charge for the green card? Free in Italy, never paid for one in over 30 years.
Rush at 13:05
the give way to the right thing, so you are going through a town on what you would call the main road, there is a road joining on the right with no give way markings, do you give way to anyone starting to exit that road?
As far as I'm aware you should unless you have a yellow diamond sign. But in my experience that didn't seem to be the case.
wait 112 not really it depends fire its 115 police its 113 and er its 118
Well, I don't think there's a single person in Italy who complies with the 40 km/h speed limit on slip roads. :-)
Anyway, hope you enjoyed your stay in Italy!
I did thank you, Lake Garda and Verona are both beautiful.
In Italy nobody complies with any speed limit, unless there is a posted "autovelox". It's a sad fact, but true.
Ive been 400 times since Brexit its not any different except you can only stay 90 days out of 180 in schengen
Nice
I didn't know that it's possible to drive a right sided steering wheel car in Italy given that we drive on the right side of the road.
You can, it's just a bit more awkward in some situations.
it's actually very convenient on mountains, you can easily see cliff sides or walls depending which direction you go, gives you more confidence - but annoying in toll booths
That would be a massive barrier to driving abroad if that were the case. Where I live in Scotland I see a handful of foreign registered cars driven by tourists each day, they would probably never visit if they couldn't drive their own cars or motorhomes over here.
If you have a certain disability (no right hand or short right arm, for example), you are obliged to have a right hand drive car, so you can use your good left arm.
When I stayed in Rome (Valle Aurelia) I'd often see vans bumping cars in front and behind where they wanted to park so that they could wedge themselves in.
If you want to drive in Rome, don't bring a nice car!
Cose che succedono a Roma, non in tutta Italia
@@panterone1769 I will edit my comment to reflect this, thank you!