In Italy there is a high number of road tunnels compared to the rest of Europe. These are long dark and dangerous stretches of road to be traveled carefully, taking into account many aspects and respecting the relevant advice and rules.
Immediately after Italy there is Japan. In total, the tunnels in Italy reach 650 km. Traveling means having to cross them necessarily, there are some very short and others very long that evena exceed 10 km in length.
Driving on these stretches of road it is not easy and not for everyone because rules must be respected that we should all know but that few are actually aware of.
Rules to be respected in the tunnel
The rules we are talking about were published by Motorways for Italy, which gives useful advice to avoid harming oneself and others with wrong behaviors which I often don’t know very much about. For example, when you are about to enter a tunnel you have to turn on the low beams, then you have to remove your sunglasses and you have to pay attention to light signals at the entrance and along the tunnels.
There are usually variable message signs that inform about road conditions. What you need to do is tune into the Isoradio 103.3 FM frequencies which informs you about traffic conditions. At the entrance to the galleries there are light signals, which must be observed to know how to behave. The green arrow indicates that the lane is free and therefore can be walked safely, obviously always paying attention.
Light signals, emergency, how to behave
If instead there should be a red cross, then it means that the lane is not passable because there are works in progress or because there are vehicles stopped for any reason, accident or malfunction of the vehicle. Should you find a broken-down vehicle in the tunnel, it is essential to light the four arrows, to signal its presence to all the other motorists in the queue, avoiding sudden braking and causing accidents.
Otherwise, there is a risk of hindering the passage of emergency vehicles as well as being injured. Then you must never get out of the vehicle, not even when there are accidents where you think you have to queue for a long time. What you need to do is turn off the engine and stay in the car. Finally, it may be useful to know that in the tunnels there are emergency exits, these are only needed if you have to leave the vehicle in an emergency and if you need to reach a safe place where you can wait for the help and intervention of the rescuers.
The article Galleries on the highway, if you don’t respect these rules you are in serious trouble: put your life in danger comes from Motori News.
