Minister Salvini Says New Italian Road Law Will Be Enacted by Christmas

new road code “It will come up for final approval in the legislature next week, and I expect it to become state law by Christmas.” This was stated by the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport. Matteo SalviniOn the sidelines of the international two-wheeled exhibition Eicma, which opened at the Milan Fair in Rho.

“I expect this to be a Christmas present because it will definitely bring more safety to two-wheelers, for example,” he said. “I expect it to be operational by Christmas and reduce the number of deaths, which has been the tragedy of recent years, to below 3,000.” The new Road Bill 2024 includes further restrictions on mobile phone use while driving, blood alcohol content and drugs, the use of bicycles and scooters, and the fair use of speed cameras.

APPLICATION

The issue, which was discussed in the Environmental Commission on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, will be examined in the Chamber in mid-November. After most of the amendments to the bill had been reviewed, Transport Minister Matteo Salvini announced that the vote in the Parliament in Palazzo Madama would be held next week, scheduled for 19 and 21 November. The new Road Law will come into force and become law by Christmas 2024. Only then will the 2024 Road Law reform become final and binding after it is published in the Official Gazette and 15 days have passed.

Validity

The new penalties will only apply to facts identified and challenged after the publication of the 2024 New Report. Road Code 15 days from the publication of the reform in the Official Gazette and the publication of the so-called vacatio legis. Changes to the road code are not applied retroactively.

Driving License Banned for Life

One of the main innovations, as reported by Ratti.auto.it, is the new Road Code Those who drive under the influence of drugs and commit serious crimes such as not stopping after an accident will be banned for life in 2024.

Road safety training courses will also be given in high schools and two additional points will be given to the driver’s license.

In 2024, the driver’s licenses of those who violate the Highway Code will be suspended from 7 to 15 days, and exceeding the speed limits (between 10 and 40 km/h), passing the red light, illegal U-turns, illegal or right-hand overtaking, not giving way, not following the traffic officer’s signal. failure to comply, failure to maintain a safe distance, driving against traffic and highway violations.

Other Offenses That Trigger Short-Term License Suspension

• Malfunction or irregular use of helmets on mopeds and motorcycles;
• Malfunction or irregular use of restraint systems (meaning supports to keep child seats safe and secure) and anti-abandonment devices;
• Using a mobile phone or other device while driving.

In case of very serious and repeated crimes, the license may be revoked indefinitely, and in case of an accident, the suspension days are doubled. For example, if a driver with a score below 20 points is sanctioned for using a smartphone or other electronic device, he or she may face both a short-term and regular suspension.

Driving with a Mobile Phone

The Road Law provides for higher fines and stricter inspections for drivers. mobile phone:

– Cancellation of license for one week if the driver has more than 10 but less than 20 license points; below this threshold, a 15-day license suspension is provided.

– From 250 to 1,697 euros for a first offense and license suspension from 15 days to 2 months (currently from 165 to 660 euros).

– From 350 to 2,588 euros, license suspension from 1 to 3 months and a deduction from 8 to 10 points for repeated offenses.

scooters

Rules scooters. These roads need to be equipped with insurance, license plates and mandatory indicators to ensure greater safety for their users and other road users.

Additionally, scooter riders, even minors, will be required to wear helmets to prevent serious injuries in the event of an accident. Those who drive around without insurance are fined between 100 and 400 euros, while those who use scooters without turn signals and brakes on both wheels are fined between 200 and 800 euros.

A blanket ban on parking scooters on pavements has also been introduced, and those rented in cities must be equipped with a mechanism that automatically locks them if they leave permitted areas. Therefore, they can only travel on urban roads with limits below 50 km/h, and no longer on cycle paths and pedestrian areas.

Driving Under the Influence

If the blood alcohol level is between 0.5 and 0.8 grams per litre, the fine will range from 573 to 2,170 euros and the driver’s license will be suspended for 3 to 6 months; If the blood alcohol level is between 0.8 and 1.5 grams per liter, double sanctions, both detention and monetary (detention for up to 6 months and a fine of 800 to 3,200 euros) and driver’s license suspension for 6 months to one year in question.

Finally, if the blood alcohol level is above 1.5 grams per liter, the crime is punishable by both imprisonment and monetary sanctions (imprisonment from 6 months to one year and fines from 1,500 to 6,000 euros) and driver’s license suspension from one to two years.

All cases of drunk driving result in a 10 point deduction from the driver’s license.

What is an alcohol lock?

The Road Code provides for an absolute ban on drinking alcohol before driving and the obligation to have an alcohol interlock in the car for so-called “repeat drunk drivers”.

Alcolock is a device that prevents the vehicle from starting if the driver is drunk and works like a breathalyzer. Specifically, they must blow into the device as soon as the driver sits down, and if the alcohol interlock detects a high blood alcohol level, it will prevent the car from starting until the level drops below the legal limit.

This system was already introduced by Cnel in 2020 and has been tested in many European countries, where it is also mandatory for heavy vehicles. If the test is positive, the license will be canceled immediately, followed by a ban on obtaining a license for three years.

Driving Under the Influence of Drugs

Those who are found to be driving under the influence of drugs will no longer need to undergo a psycho-physical change, but a positive saliva test will be sufficient for the license to be revoked. It is possible to buy a new one before three years.

Police officers will be able to take a saliva sample directly at the checkpoint, using methods to be determined by the special instructions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and if this is not possible, police officers will be able to accompany the driver to fixed or mobile, public or accredited places. Healthcare facilities for sampling. If the result is positive but the results of the tests carried out by accredited laboratories are not yet available, the police will still be able to withdraw the license.

Excessive Speed ​​and Penalties

There is a proposal to penalize those who do not give way to pedestrians and cyclists, public transportation, police, fire brigade, emergency services, electric vehicles, and those who park in areas reserved for loading and unloading, through remote control.

If the speed limit is exceeded between 10 km/h and 40 km/h, the fine varies between 173 and 694 euros, while if the violation is committed in urban areas and at least twice within a year, the fine goes up to 220 euros. and 880 euros, the license is suspended from fifteen to thirty days.

Additionally, there is the possibility of increased fines in certain cases, such as parking in disabled parking spaces (fine will be between 330 and 990 euros) and in bus lanes or stops (fine of up to 165 and 660 euros). Following the mayors’ proposal, speeding fines could increase to 1,084 euros; In urban areas, those who exceed the limits twice a year may have their licenses suspended for 15 to 30 days.

bicycles

More guarantees to protect cyclists. Especially in the case of overtaking, it is mandatory to maintain a distance of at least one and a half meters when overtaking any vehicle on a bicycle, as far as road conditions allow.

Bicycle lanes will be regulated by the decree of the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, but there will be no advanced stopping lines for bicycles compared to cars. Finally, it should not be forgotten that the maximum power of the electric bicycle motor should not exceed 250 watts and the maximum speed should not exceed 30 km/h.

Speed ​​Cameras

The new rules on speed cameras, published by decree in the Official Gazette and effective from May 28, 2024, stipulate that the cameras can only be installed in areas with a high accident rate, documented impossibility or where it is difficult to raise an urgent objection based on immediate appeal. structural conditions. They cannot be installed on roads with a limit of less than 20 km/h according to the maximum general limit. For this reason, it is forbidden to use speed cameras at speeds below 90 km/h in cities, on urban roads known as the 30th zone, and on rural roads.

In the second case, mayors cannot install speed cameras for electronic speed control if the obligation is to travel this distance at a speed of 90 km/h or less. If more than one speed camera ticket is issued on the same road section within one hour and by the same authority, only one fine will be payable: the most serious will be increased by a third if this is more appropriate. The speed camera also needs to be well signalled, with a sign at least one kilometer away from the device itself.

Another innovation was that the photographs that normally accompany speed camera fines and constitute evidence of road rules violations were previously sent to the vehicle owner’s residence. This will no longer be the case, as fines and associated reports will continue to arrive at drivers’ homes without photos of the vehicle. The photographs will remain in the custody of the authority and will be made available to the driver, who can request them in case the speed camera ticket is appealed. In all cases, privacy must be guaranteed; Therefore, faces taken by speed cameras, including those of third parties and the license plates of other vehicles taken, must have their faces obscured or rendered unrecognisable.

Approval was also given to the “barcavelox”, which will detect the speed in Venice canals.

Animal Abandonment

It is envisaged that the penalty will be increased by one third if the animal is abandoned “on or around the road”, and “if it is determined that the act constitutes a crime, the license will be postponed from six months to one year”. processed using tools.

In fact, anyone who leaves any animal on the road can face up to 7 years in prison if they cause a traffic accident that results in death, injury, or serious or very serious personal injury.

What is Changing in Motor Vehicles?

Moped and motorcycle drivers will be included in the ‘vulnerable users’ list, along with pedestrians, disabled people, cyclists and similar categories.

In addition, when the Road Law comes into force, motorcycle enthusiasts who are authorized to train for an AM, A1, A2 and A category driving license and have a learner driver’s license will not be allowed to carry passengers in any case. Regarding the new penalties for motor vehicle drivers, those who occupy places reserved for disabled vehicles to stop or park, sidewalks, ramps or ramps or connections between transit corridors and the road used by the same vehicles will be subject to these penalties. Fine ranging from a minimum of 165 to a maximum of 660 euros.

Motorcycles with an internal combustion engine of at least 120 cc or, in the case of an electric motor, a power of at least 6 kW can travel on motorways and main country roads. This only applies if the driver is of legal age.