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Rome’s city council has said it will speak to Google about GPS directions after yet another driver followed navigation instructions onto the Spanish Steps.
The latest incident happened on the evening of Sunday, 10th August, when a 28-year-old Italian man drove a Jeep Renegade down part of the iconic Trinita dei Monti staircase before reversing back up using the vehicle’s four-wheel drive.
Footage posted on social media shows the red SUV moving slowly onto the historic steps as tourists look on, before stopping and backing away.
The driver later told police he had been following his GPS when he mistakenly turned onto the 135-step World Heritage Site, which connects Piazza Trinita dei Monti to Piazza di Spagna.
He fled the scene but was traced on Tuesday by Rome's Local Police and fined EUR 400 (GBP 344) under laws protecting cultural heritage.
No serious damage was reported, but officials warned the incident posed a serious risk to pedestrians and the monument.
Similar cases have occurred in recent years. In June, an 81-year-old man in a Mercedes A-Class became stuck on the steps and had to be lifted off by a firefighter’s crane.
In 2022, a Maserati driver damaged one of the steps, and in 2018, a 27-year-old man crashed his car there while drunk.
The Capitoline Hill said it will check the accuracy of routes shown on services such as Google Maps and Waze, and may also install physical barriers to prevent further incidents.
(Mike Leidig / newsX)
Byline Journalist: Mike Leidig
Byline Sub editor: Simona Kitanovska
Byline Spotter: Ivica Stojanovski
Byline Commisioning Editor: Mike Leidig
Byline Senior Writer: Mike Leidig
Byline Picture Editor: Zorica Stojkovik
Byline Video Editor: Aloysius Fernandes
Byline Copychecker: Marija Stojkoska
Byline Illustrator: Marija Stojkoska
Byline News Editor: Mike Leidig
Geography: Spanish_Steps
Subject: Accidents, Accidents Involving People, Road Accidents
T4 Editor Story Rating: 7
T4 Editor Pic/Vid rating: 7
T4 Total rating: 7
