Skip to main content

Slipping and a sliding

The authorities in the Italian city of Bologna are proposing a new ruling that will ban the use of two wheelers from the roads on days when the temperature drops below zero. Any cyclists or scooter riders seen on the roads when the weather is freezing will be fined the princely sum of €39 should they be spotted by a traffic officer. The move is intended to reduce the numbers of accidents. However, the city authorities have not insisted on tougher enforcement of existing laws such as on seat belt use or driv
February 18, 2013 Read time: 1 min
The authorities in the Italian city of Bologna are proposing a new ruling that will ban the use of two wheelers from the roads on days when the temperature drops below zero. Any cyclists or scooter riders seen on the roads when the weather is freezing will be fined the princely sum of €39 should they be spotted by a traffic officer. The move is intended to reduce the numbers of accidents. However, the city authorities have not insisted on tougher enforcement of existing laws such as on seat belt use or driving under the influence and it seems this new piece of legislation will do little to improve safety. Instead it will simply result in even greater levels of congestion in an already traffic-clogged city.

Related Content

  • Simple road safety measures save lives
    February 15, 2012
    Elementary road safety measures quickly pay back the costs of investment and, more importantly, help save lives as Patrick Smith reports. More than 300 people in the UK are alive today or have avoided the prospect of a lifetime of special care because just 15 roads have had simple improvements put in place.
  • Safer roads and vehicles with new European standard
    January 11, 2019
    New EU rules covering road infrastructure safety and minimum vehicle safety have been given approval in the European Parliament. The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) is now calling for the EU to reach a final deal on both pieces of legislation. The European Parliament’s Transport committee voted to approve an update to rules governing road infrastructure safety management. The existing requirements ensure governments carry out regular road safety audits, identify high-risk sites and prioritise s
  • Climate change is damaging roads
    August 16, 2018
    With 2018 well under way, the ravages of extreme weather in recent months is now sadly apparent on the road network in many countries, and even on many continents. In East Africa, heavy rains have overwhelmed storm drains in many areas, with flood waters washing away vehicles and damaging road surfaces in urban and rural areas alike. Road repairs are now having to be carried out in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda to patch up surfaces that have been washed away, along with the replacement of signage and
  • Improving road safety a priority beyond politics
    February 23, 2012
    Figures have long since become an important part of our daily lives. Data on all the humdrum events around us is regularly used to shape political policy that is in most instances, designed to improve our well-being.