Italian catalogue of fines: The Italian holiday will be expensive. 2588 euros for telephoning without hands-free equipment

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If you want to go on holiday to Italy, you must comply with stricter traffic regulations in the future. The Italian Chamber of Deputies passed a reform of the road traffic regulations on Wednesday with 163 votes in favour and 107 against. This still has to be approved by the Senate.

The draft law provides for far-reaching changes, including a crackdown on drivers using mobile phones or driving under the influence of drugs.

Penalties tripled
The penalties for drivers who use mobile phones or chat at the wheel will be tripled. Drivers caught using a smartphone are now liable to fines of up to 1697 euros. There are also plans to deduct eight to ten driving licence points. Their driving licence will also be revoked for a period of 15 days to two months.

If drivers are caught using a smartphone at the wheel again within two years, they face a driving licence suspension of one to three months, a fine of 644 to a maximum of 2588 euros, and a deduction of ten driving licence points.

Speeding twice: driving licence taken away
In addition, an increase in the fine to up to 1084 euros and withdrawal of the driving licence for 15 to 30 days are proposed if the same driver breaches the speed limit at least twice within a year.

The rules will also be tightened for driving under the influence of alcohol. Anyone who is stopped for the second time with an alcohol level between 0.5 and 1.5 per mille will, in the future, have to adhere to a strict limit of 0.0 per mille.

In addition, the driving licence must be renewed with a new medical examination. The fines in such cases increase by a third. Finally, an alcohol interlock must be installed in the car at the driver’s own expense to prevent the engine from starting if the driver is under the influence of alcohol.
Dramatic increase in parking fines
In some cases, higher fines will also be imposed: unauthorised parking in disabled parking spaces will cost 990 euros instead of 330 euros in future. Fines for parking in bus lanes or at bus stops are to be increased from 165 to 660 euros.

Anyone travelling with an e-scooter in Italy must have a number plate, a helmet, indicators, brake lights and insurance. Anyone driving without a licence plate or insurance documents must pay between 100 and 400 euros. Anyone without working indicators or brake lights will be fined between 200 and 800 euros.

New rules for novice drivers
New rules are also being introduced for novice drivers. They cannot drive large-engined cars for the first three years after obtaining their driving licence. There are also new regulations to actively combat pet abandonment, which could cause road accidents. There is a penalty of up to seven years in prison if the abandonment leads to an accident resulting in death or injury. Drivers caught abandoning an animal also face a lifetime disqualification from driving.