Deputy Premier and Transport Minister
Matteo Salvini's new Highway Code, which stiffens penalties for
using mobile phones at the wheel and driving under the influence
in a bid to prevent road accidents, came into force on Saturday.
The legislation increases the penalties for using mobile phones
while driving, with fines of between 250 and 1,000 euros and a
driving ban of a week if you already have points in your
licence.
This can go up to a three-month ban and a fine of 1,400 euros
for repeat offenders.
It will be possible for speeding fines to go up as high as 880
euros for people who break the speed limit inside cities twice a
year or more and they face having their licence suspended for 15
to 30 days.
The penalties for driving under the influence of alcohol goes
from a fine of between 573 and 2,170 euros and a licence
suspension of three to six months if the blood alcohol levels is
between 0.5 and 0.8 grams per litre.
People with blood alcohol levels between 0.8 and 1.5 grams per
litre risk a fine of up to 3,200 euros, a driving ban of between
six months and a year and a jail term of six months.
If the level is over 1.5 grams, the fine can go as high as 6,000
euros, the driving ban up to two years and the jail term up to
one year.
People caught driving under the influence of drugs face bans of
up to three years.
Users of e-scooters will be obliged to wear helmets, have a
number plate and get insurance - although subsequent legislation
will set out the details on this.
Under the new measure, people who abandon animals at a road side
face losing their licences for between six months and a year.
They also risk seven years in jail if an accident is caused by
the abandoned animal.
The first fine under the new rules was issued early on Saturday
in Naples for motorist who was using a phone while driving.
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