News Analysis: How does Italy cope with car races in downtown?

Car races in downtown fortunately are not a habit in the home country of Ferrari and Lamborghini, which has equipped with strict regulation on illegal races but also the possibility for those who love velocity to drive fast in safety conditions.

"Car races in downtown are not a frequent phenomenon in Italy, also due to our road infrastructures that do not lend themselves easily to be the scene of motor challenges," sources from State highway police explained to Xinhua.

STRICT LEGISLATION ON CAR RACING

Italy has a strict legislation as regards illegal car races. Those who take part are punished by up to one year in jail and fines up to 20,000 euros (21,090 U.S. dollars), with those driving the cars having the license suspended up to three years.

Punishments for organizers are even tougher, with jail terms up to three years and fines up to 120,000 euros. Betters are punished with up to one year in jail and fines up to 25,000 euros.

"In case there are victims or injured, all punishments are tougher and driving license is revoked. And in all cases, vehicles are confiscated," the sources went on explaining.

Police get informed about the illegal races by searching web forums and through the warning of citizens. CCTV cameras play an important role in helping intervene rapidly. The sources also noted people taking part in illegal races in the past have often resulted to be positive to drug or alcohol testing, thus the addicted are particularly monitored by police.

CLOSE EYE ON YOUNG DRIVERS

Nevertheless, though being not so much "Fast and Furious" as in the real-life race that took place in downtown Beijing last Saturday and saw a red Ferrari and a green Lamborghini smashing into walls at speeds of more than 160 km/h, there are drivers with a passion for sprint race also in Italy.

"Last year a total of nearly 31,810 cars over 2,500cc were sold in Italy out of a total of around 1.4 million sold cars, compared to some 27,676 in 2013," Enrico Pagliari, Technical Area Coordinator of the Automobile Club of Italy (ACI), a federation founded in 1927 with the task of regulating the car sector in the country, told Xinhua.

Pagliari said most of those buying high-performance cars are entrepreneurs owners of family companies.

"From my experience I can say that high-performance cars in Italy are seen as a status symbol at the same way as luxury watches or clothing, something to wear in a sense," he added.

Thus, Pagliari went on saying, the phenomenon of high-performance car racing is moderate in his country, also thanks to stricter rules introduced in recent years as regards young drivers.

"Those in possess of a driving license for less than three years are not allowed to drive high-performance cars, cannot exceed 90 km/h and are not allowed to drink alcohol at all when they drive," he noted.

He also added that ACI besides promoting a culture of safe driving is also striving to introduce a new law that obligates all drivers to make refresher courses for renewal of driving license, especially after the first three years.

VARIETY OF RACE CIRCUITS FOR PASSIONATE

Citizens are also discouraged from wanting to experience velocity on public roads by the existing some 15 speedways in Italy, five of which internationally renowned, Ruggero Campi, President of ACI Vallelunga, a racing circuit some 30 km north of Rome, said.

In the Italian speedways, which are private businesses, those with a passion for velocity can drive fast in complete safety, he explained to Xinhua.

"Actually they can also be followed by professional pilots who teach them the best techniques of fast driving and supervise the situation," he added.

"Rules are very strict in race circuits," Campi told Xinhua.

"We have cameras and personnel monitoring the entire circuit all the time. As soon as somebody is seen having an improper behavior, a black flag appears forcing him to leave the circuit immediately," he underlined.

Average cost with one's own vehicle, he said, is 70 euros every 25 minutes. In this way, many owners of high-performance cars feel free to drive fast without putting themselves and others in peril of life, he pointed out.

Campi added there are sports associations in Italy that manage to organize illegal car races, though in safety conditions, through legislative stratagems.

"ACI is making efforts to also combat this phenomenon. In a democratic country, fast driving must be a pleasant luxury regulated by civic conscience," he stressed. (1 euro = 1.06 U.S. dollars) Endit