In a recent development, the Italian supreme court ruled that speed cameras provide sufficient evidence for issuing fines. In this way, penalties are valid against speeding motorists even when they have not been stopped at the scene. When using newer laser equipment however, the police are still required to stop the vehicle unless this involves excessive risk. With older technology, police could only prove a car was speeding once it had gone by by which time it could no longer be stopped at the scene. New laser equipment, however, allows police to tell from a distance whether a car is breaking the speed limit, thereby allowing them to stop the driver and issue an on-the-spot fine. The decision overturns a previous ruling by a magistrate in the Abruzzi region. In this case, from 2001, the original fine rose from 130 to around 570, as a result of judicial expenses.