Italy considers 93mph speed limit
Added on Thursday, December 31st, 2009 by Carole Nash Editor | No Comments
Italy considers 93mph speed limit
The Italian government is to consider raising the speed limit on its motorways to 150Kph, from the existing 130kph level, in 2010, reports Alastair Walker.
Some autostrada routes in Italy already have an experimental 150Kph ( 93mph ) limit, but the Italian parliament is to consider making this the standard limit, in dry, light traffic conditions, across most two lane autostrada as well as the existing three lane roads. The proposed law change could happen in late 2010.
The downside for bikers is that the proposed change will only allow drivers of large cars to travel at 150Kph, whilst small engined cars – and bikes – will be restricted to 130Kph. It looks like motorcycles, due to their small engine size may not benefit from the possible 150Kph limit, which will probably apply to vehicles with a 1900cc engine capacity or above.
MV Agusta boss Claudio Castiglioni has partly welcomed the decision, commenting to Motociclismo magazine that modern machines are easily capable of travelling at 180Kph, never mind 150Kph;
“A modern sportbike travelling at 130Kph is a distraction, it is a speed limit which exists just to promote fines and speeding taxes. Today’s motorcycles are safe at 170, even 180Kph in light traffic. I would personally back a campaign to raise the limit to this level alongside keeping the existing limits in urban areas – they should be sacrosant.”
Castiglioni is calling on Italian bikers to petition Berlusconi’s government to allow larger capacity motorcycles to travel at 180Kph in clear, dry conditions. If the idea does become law, and a 1900cc engine capacity limit applies, we predict a rise in Triumph Rocket III sales across Italy in 2011.
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