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Rome Lowers Speed Limit to 30 km/h Across Historic Center

City leaders call the expansion a road-safety step toward “zero traffic deaths.”

Overview

  • From January 15, drivers in the Centro Storico and selected main arteries are capped at 30 km/h.
  • The city says the change extends the limit to roughly 1,000 additional streets, with a medium‑term goal to make 30 km/h standard on about 70% of roads.
  • Municipal police plan stepped‑up checks using mobile speed cameras and added radars on larger roads, as fixed cameras are restricted in 30‑zones by national law.
  • Rome will pair enforcement with 175 raised pedestrian crossings and new school‑street restrictions to calm traffic at high‑risk locations.
  • Officials cite studies and Bologna’s experience to argue lower speeds cut severe crashes, while critics warn the move will matter only with sustained enforcement in a city that saw 124 road deaths last year.