stopped by police in Italy? do i need int.licence?

[ballad45]

a friend of mine has just returned from a trip to Tuscany in Italy and they were stopped by police, though they weren't driving over the speed limit..apparently it was a random check..i'll be going myself to Italy next month and I am worried about this..do you guys think i'll be better off with an international license?

[Jenna]

if you're driving from the states, I'd definitely suggest getting one to avoid problems and make things smoother should you get stopped, though be aware that the International License it's not a legal document, it's basically just a translation of your existing driver's license.

I'd say that it's not unusual but being a tourist and being stopped by local police is not laughing matter. I was stopped myself in Spain a few years back and the whole experience ruined our holiday..