Newly Updated Highway Code: All You Need To Know

by In Trieste

Italy updated its Highway Code with the new rules of the road in force from 10 November. What are these rules?

• E-scooter users will no longer be allowed to travel on pavements and neither will they be permitted to park on sidewalks or travel in the wrong direction down one-way streets.
• The maximum speed of electric scooters should not exceed 20km/h on roads (staying at 6 km/h in pedestrian areas), with those under 14 required to wear a helmet.
• E-scooter users remain prohibited from carrying passengers; an offense which carries a €50 fine.
• There are new rules for pedestrian crossings: priority must be given to the pedestrian even if they are about to cross, not only if they are already on the crosswalk.
• The penalties for cell phone use while driving have been extended to include those who take their hands off the wheel to use laptops, tablets or other electrical devices.
• Motorcycle drivers are liable for fines if their passenger, even a minor, is not wearing a helmet.
• There are increased fines for parking illegally in places reserved for recharging electric cars, or in pink parking spaces reserved for pregnant women and parents with children up to three years old.
• Motorists who occupy parking spaces reserved for people with disabilities will face fines of between €168 and €672, plus six penalty points on a driver’s license.
• Motorcycle drivers are liable for fines if their passenger, even a minor, is not wearing a helmet.
• There are increased fines for parking illegally in places reserved for recharging electric cars, or in pink parking spaces reserved for pregnant women and parents with children up to three years old.
• From 1 January 2022, holders of the disabled pass will be able to park free of charge in paid parking spaces if the spaces reserved for them are occupied or unavailable.
• There are increased fines for motorists who throw trash from their vehicle.
• There are also measures in place to ban advertising on vehicles that is discriminatory against women, gay people, ethnic and religious groups or people with disabilities, or that causes offense in relation to gender identity or sexual orientation.