Speed traps are not only lurking on Swiss roads: In Spain, fines are skyrocketing, Italy has introduced new rules – and France is even planning super speed cameras.

This summer, many Swiss people will once again be traveling abroad by car – in their own or a rental car.

Just like here in Switzerland, it’s worth keeping an eye on your speedometer, as speed traps are also a threat in vacation destinations.

Here is an overview so that you are well prepared for your summer vacation:

According to a report by the automobile association AEA, 3.44 million speeding violations were registered in Spain in 2024 – that’s an average of 10,000 fines per day and corresponds to an increase of 4 percent compared to 2023.

According to the report, there were a particularly high number of speed cameras in Andalusia with 959,592 speeding tickets (27.8% of all fines in Spain). This is followed by Castilla y León (413,343), Valencia (366,360) and Castilla-La Mancha (310,795). Four of the ten most active speed cameras are located in the province of Málaga.

When it comes to the number of speed cameras, Italy is the unbeaten European champion. There are over 11,000 fixed speed cameras in the country, as well as numerous mobile speed cameras operated by local authorities.

The tiny mountain village of Colle Santa Lucia in the province of Belluno, for example, set a special record. According to the consumer organization Assoutenti, the community of 346 people in the Dolomites collected a whopping 1,265,822 euros (around 1.18 million Swiss francs) from a single speed camera in the three years from 2021 to 2023. This corresponds to around 3660 euros in speed camera revenue per capita.

The Italian authorities have since reacted. New rules came into force in 2024. The regulations stipulate a minimum distance between individual devices. In addition, the speed cameras may only be used above a certain speed. Within towns, for example, only when the maximum speed is 50 kilometers per hour.

There are also new regulations governing when drivers must be made aware of speed cameras. Speed cameras outside built-up areas must be displayed at least one kilometer in advance.

Speed cameras that have already been installed can be adapted to the new regulations until June 2025. After this deadline, the devices will be dismantled.

The opposite trend is taking place in France: The number of permanently installed speed cameras is to be increased from just under 4000 today to 4160. Speed cameras are also to become smarter. This has led to protests from motorists.

In future, some of the approximately 4,000 speed cameras in the country will also monitor the distance, the obligation to wear a seatbelt and the ban on using a cell phone at the wheel. According to the French government’s plans, the new super speed cameras will be able to record all the different infringements at once.

Anyone driving with a cell phone to their ear, too close behind the vehicle in front and even too fast could receive three fines at once.

However, it is not yet known exactly when the new super speed cameras will be operational. It also remains to be seen whether the individual fines will actually be added up. The government’s plans are controversial in France. The French automobile club “40 Millions d’automobilistes”, for example, suspects a large-scale state rip-off behind the plans.

Video on the topic