Driving and talking on your cell phone at the same time (without hands-free) it will cost up to 1,697 euros in fines. A figure that rises to 2,588 euros in the event of a repeat offense. In addition of course to the suspension of the driving licence: from 15 days from the first violation to 3 months, in addition to the reduction of up to 10 points from your license, for those who commit the same offense within 2 years. Anyone who parks their car, without having the right, in spaces designated for disabled people, risks a fine of up to 990 euros, which drops to 660 if the vehicle is a motorbike or moped.
It’s there “zero tolerance” promised by the government on Italian roads which comes with the green light from the Council of Ministers to the bill and the enabling law for the amendments to Traffic Laws and new rules on road safety. The text proposed by the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Matteo Salvini it was approved by the Council of Ministers last June, but it returned to the Council after the passage with the Municipalities and Regions and can now begin its parliamentary process. The objective is to get it to the Chambers by October. “The hope is to approve it as soon as possible”, says Salvini who also received thanks from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for “the measures that are all the more urgent given the too many deaths, including of young children, on our roads”.
The new Highway Code in the Council of Ministers
Suspended license and tripled fines for those who drive on their cell phones
License revoked for 3 years for those who drive drunk or after taking drugs
Higher penalties for those who exceed speed limits in residential areas. License suspended for repeat offenders
Narrow for scooters (and more cycle areas)
Higher fines for those who park in spaces reserved for disabled people
Minors driving or new drivers
Speed camera regulation
Child seats: mandatory anti-abandonment devices
Higher fines
Among the innovations, implemented right after the meeting in the Unified State-Regions Conference, there is the tightening of sanctions for those who use cell phones while driving, for driving while intoxicated or after taking drugs, for those who exceed the speed limits and for those who park where they cannot. So, for example, anyone who exceeds the speed limit at least twice in a year in a built-up area will receive a fine of up to 1,084 euros with the suspension of their license for up to 30 days. Much higher fines, not only for those who park in spaces reserved for disabled people (from 330 to 990 euros), but also for those who occupy bus stops (from 165 to 660 euros).
Alcohol and drugs, “zero tolerance”
But the “zero tolerance” announced by Minister Salvini also concerns those who drive drunk or after taking drugs, especially if you are a repeat offender. The license will be immediately withdrawn and suspended: up to 3 years for the most serious cases. Not only that, those who have already been found positive in the alcohol test will be prohibited from driving after drinking alcohol, even very little: for them the limit not to be exceeded is in fact 0g/l (for all the others it is 0.5 g/l l) and will have to install (and at their own expense) the “alcohol-lock”, a device that blocks the engine if it detects a blood alcohol level above zero. The license can be immediately withdrawn and suspended even in the case of suspected drug use, pending the result of the analyzes to ascertain the psycho-physical state. License revoked for life for anyone who commits a very serious crime while driving, such as fleeing after causing a road accident.
New drivers
More stringent measures are also planned for very young people
. Meanwhile, new drivers will have to wait 3 years (no longer 1) before being able to drive a large-displacement car, such as a supercar, and if they are driving without being 18 years old or without a license, they will have to wait until they are 24 years old before being able to drive. get back behind the wheel. Traffic education courses are also planned in high schools.
Cycle paths, more spaces. Tight on scooters
Among the other requests from the Municipalities that have received the green light is the increase in space for cycle paths and the approval of cycle priority zones with a speed limit of 30 kilometers per hour. For motorists, however, there is an obligation to maintain a distance of at least one and a half meters to overtake a cyclist.
A narrow then comes for the scooters. The use of a helmet and identification, a sort of license plate, becomes mandatory for everyone. They will not be able to circulate in pedestrian areas and on pavements and on extra-urban roads with speed limits above 50 kilometres.
Finally, the system of services needs to be reviewed Speed Cameras often at the center of controversy due to their abuse. Their regulation will be studied both from a technological point of view and on their positioning.
