In the United Kingdom, Spain and France they can already be found on the streets, but in Italy they have not yet arrived: we are talking about road signs with a green border and a white background, which in the center indicate a precise speed just like in the classic speed limit signs which however have a red border.
But what are they for? In essence, they are not obligatory signs, but instructional signs that offer speed “suggestions”: in the countries where they are already present, in fact, they are placed in conjunction with sensitive areas such as school environments, hospitals and residential areas, but also at the entrance to construction sites or at the entrance to some private roads, where modulating speed is essential to prevent accidents. It should be specified, however, that these speed recommendations do not necessarily have to be followed: if in that area you travel at a speed higher than that indicated on the green sign, but always within the limits established by the signs with the red border, then there will be no risk of a fine. The green border signs, therefore, they do not require real regulatory adaptation because they do not impose any sanctions, while the red ones prescribe.
The purpose of these signs, therefore, is to raise awareness among drivers by inducing them to moderate their speed in areas where there is a high concentration of pedestrians, transforming the signs from a punitive tool to an invitation to conscious driving. In Italy this type of sign has yet to arrive (it has not yet been recognized by our Highway Code), but there is a sign with a similar meaning, i.e. the blue square with the white number that appears near challenging curves or road sections where visibility is reduced and which indicates to proceed more slowly. Adopting this new form of signage requires an update of the rules by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, as well as a testing phase to verify its real effectiveness.
