Speed limit of 30 km/h in a restricted traffic area in Rome, Italy on January 13, 2026. PHOTO: Valentina Stefanelli/LaPresse/Shutterstock Editorial/Profimedia
Rome is set to become the latest European capital to drastically lower speed limits for cars, introducing a law that will force Italians known for their dangerous driving to slow down in an effort to reduce road accidents and pollution, Reuters wrote on Wednesday.
The new speed limit of 30 kilometers per hour (or 19 miles per hour) imposed in the historic center of the Eternal City comes into effect on Thursday, almost halving the previous limit of 50 km/h on streets crowded with residents, tourists and cars.
“These streets reflect a city built for cars that no longer exist,” Eugenio Patane, Rome's transport chief, told the Corriere della Sera daily.
“Lower speeds save lives,” he added, citing data suggesting that excessive speed plays a role in 7.5 percent of road accidents in the city.
The lower speed limit imposed in Rome follows the example of European capitals such as London, Brussels, Paris and Helsinki, which have already adopted measures for safer and slower streets, in some cases overcoming strong opposition from drivers.
The northern Italian city of Bologna saw road accidents fall by 13% and deaths by around 50% in the year after it became the first major center in the country to impose a 30km/h speed limit in January 2024.
Since being elected to office in 2021, Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri has stepped up the installation of speed cameras and urged residents to reduce their reliance on personal cars amid growing concerns about traffic safety and rising emissions.
Italy's Supreme Court ruled in November that people living on the city's busy beltway are entitled to 10,000 euros ($11,655) in compensation for exposure to excessive noise and fine particle pollution.
Local authorities say the lower speed limit should reduce noise pollution by around 2 decibels in central Rome.
