On the Italian road network there is a device which, in the event of risky overtaking, is capable of fining us even when we believe we are completely alone and far from any police patrol. We’re talking about overtaking meteran electronic tool which, as its name suggests, is used to verify how and where risky overtaking is carried out.
How the overtaking meter works and how it is made
The operation of this technology is essentially based on the use of high definition cameras and sensors embedded in the road surface or integrated into the support poles. When these electronic eyes detect a car crossing into the other lane to overtake a vehicle, they instantly record a video sequence of the maneuver lasting approximately 15 seconds. The visual documentation is then sent directly to the local police headquarters. Here a fundamental step comes into play: the infringement is not decreed automatically. It is always a human operator, a “flesh and blood” agent, who views the video, checks whether the maneuver actually constitutes an offense and, only at that point, is the report confirmed.
The most recent evolution of this technology is represented by the model SV3approved in 2024, which uses much more precise image analysis algorithms than in the past and is installed on roads with speed limits of up to 90 km/h. You don’t have to be afraid, however, of finding an overtaking meter hidden behind every single tree. Their installation cannot occur arbitrarily: it must be expressly authorized by the Prefect and justified by the high level of danger of the road section, documented by a high rate of accidents or by a configuration of the roadway that makes any risky maneuver a potential fatal risk.
What changes for motorists: fines of up to 1308 euros
Speaking of violators, the economic and administrative sanctions for those who are pinched are particularly severe, and rightly so. Article 148 of the Highway Code is clear: carrying out a prohibited overtaking involves a fine ranging from 167 to 665 euros, to which is added the deduction of 10 points from the driving licence. If the risky maneuver is carried out in even more risky points such as intersections, speed bumps or curves, the fine can skyrocket up to 1,308 euros. Furthermore, for new drivers, repetition (i.e. committing the same offense twice within a two-year period) entails the immediate suspension of the driving document. If, however, the crossing of the continuous line is carried out partially, without actually overtaking, the violation is punished more lightly: the sanction is reduced and only 2 points will be deducted.
