All the news of the highway code
The Chamber approves the new Highway Code: restrictions on scooters, more restrictive rules to combat alcohol and drugs and heavy penalties for those who abandon animals
The Chamber of Deputies said yes to the new highway code. The Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Matteo Salvini, has therefore brought to an end a battle that has been underway for some time to tighten the regulation of scooters. The text must now be examined by the Senate and receive its approval in order to come into force by next summer. But let's see what the main innovations are in the bill that changes the Highway Code.
STREET CODE: ALCOHOL, DRUGS AND SPEED
The bill starts with sanctions for those who drive while intoxicated and/or after taking drugs. If the driver's blood alcohol level is between 0.5 and 0.8 grams, the license will be suspended for three to six months and a fine of between 573 and 2,170 euros, if the blood alcohol level is between 0.8 and 1.5 grams the license risks being suspended for a period ranging from six months to a year and the driver risks arrest for up to six months and a fine of 800 to 3,200 euros, in addition to this the affixing of a code on the license to indicate that that driver can no longer drink before driving. Finally, with a blood alcohol level higher than 1.5 grams, the arrest ranges from 6 months to a year, the fine from 1,500 to 6,000 euros and the suspension of the driving license from one to two years. Furthermore, in the latter case, cars must be equipped with an alcohol lock, a device that allows the vehicle to be started only if the driver's breath shows no traces of alcohol.
There are significant interventions on drug consumption which see the "state of alteration" requirement dropped to define the crime of driving under the influence of drugs: it will be sufficient to register the positive test that ascertains the presence of narcotic substances to trigger the withdrawal of the license for up to three years.
As regards speeding, the principle is introduced according to which one cannot receive multiple fines for violations committed within the same time and on a stretch of road under the jurisdiction of the same body. Only one fine will be applied, for the most serious violation and increased by one third.
THE SQUEEZE ON SCOOTERS: INSURANCE, LICENSE PLATE AND HELMET
As mentioned, the one about scooters is an old battle of the infrastructure minister Matteo Salvini . “More rules, more education and more safety on Italian roads,” the minister said during a Question Time last June. The new highway code includes numerous new obligations for this soft mobility tool.
First of all, the obligation to have a license plate, i.e. a license plate, which must be requested by the owner and which will be completely similar to that of motorbikes and scooters. Then for owners of scooters insurance becomes mandatory, for civil liability towards third parties pursuant to article 2054 of the Civil Code and it is the responsibility of the owner of the vehicle to verify that it is insured (as is the case for cars). Helmets become mandatory (compliant with UNI EN 1078 or UNI EN 1080). Finally, vehicles will only be able to circulate in urban centers on roads with a speed limit not exceeding 50 km/h and never proceed against traffic. In case of circulation of scooters without license plates or without insurance, the fine will be from a minimum of 100 euros up to a maximum of 400.
ROAD CODE: OBLIGATIONS FOR SCOOTER RENTAL SERVICE MANAGERS
The new code also provides obligations for those who manage the scooter rental service. The municipal council "authorizes the activation of the scooter rental service". Rental companies have "the obligation to install automatic systems that prevent their operation outside the areas of the city in which circulation is permitted".
END OF THE WILD STAY
The new highway code also includes clarification regarding the parking of scooters on pavements. “Parking scooters on the sidewalk is prohibited. The municipalities, provided that the pavement, in terms of size and characteristics, allows it, can identify by ordinance parking areas reserved for scooters also on the pavement, provided that in the remaining part of the same the regular and safe circulation of pedestrians and people with disability – we read in the bill -. This use must be indicated with the required vertical and horizontal signs. The parking areas reserved for scooters may be without horizontal and vertical signs, provided that the GPS coordinates of their location are publicly available on the municipality's institutional website. Scooters with predominantly electric propulsion are however allowed to park in the stalls reserved for bicycles, mopeds and motorbikes".
ROAD CODE: FINES FOR THOSE WHO VIOLATE THE RULES ON SCOOTERS
The bill also clarifies the sanctions faced by those who violate the rules on scooters. The highway code introduces an administrative fine of 200 to 800 euros for those who travel with scooters that do not comply with regulations or without turn and brake indicator lights on both wheels.
THE CONTRAST TO ANIMAL ABANDONMENT
A more recent battle of the Minister of Transport concerns the protection and welfare of animals. The bill on the new highway code includes an increase by one third in the penalty for those who abandon animals on the road, even without causing accidents. Furthermore, if the abandonment occurs by means of a vehicle the driver risks having his license suspended for six months to a year.
ROAD CODE: LIMITS TO VEHICLE POWER FOR NEW LICENSORS
The new highway code revises the rules regarding new drivers. For the first three years after obtaining the B license you will not be able to drive vehicles with a power output exceeding 100 horsepower and in any case with a power (including electric or hybrid) exceeding 105 kilowatts per ton.
WITHDRAWAL OF LICENSE WHEN DRIVING MOBILE PHONES
Those who allow themselves to be distracted by their cell phone while driving risk having their license withdrawn: the bill provides for the withdrawal of the license from 15 days to two months and a fine of up to 1,697 euros and in the event of a repeat offense the fine reaches up to 2,588 euros and the suspension of the license can last up to three months plus a reduction of 8 to 10 points.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/smartcity/tutte-le-novita-del-codice-della-strada/ on Thu, 28 Mar 2024 13:49:11 +0000.