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🇮🇹 Italy /Energy & Infrastructure

Italy Considers Highway Code Overhaul: Fines, Licenses, and New Rules for Bikes and Motorbikes

From ANSA · () Italian

Translated from Italian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement New plan
  • Italy's Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport is proposing significant revisions to the Highway Code, including changes for cyclists, motorcyclists, and new drivers.
  • Key proposals include mandatory helmets and markings for electric bikes, allowing motorcyclists to use emergency lanes during slowdowns, and adjusting fines based on speed excess.
  • The revisions aim to increase safety and better meet the needs of drivers, with potential for a 17-year-old driving license and more proportionate fines.

Italy's Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport is considering a sweeping overhaul of the Highway Code, introducing 15 key proposals aimed at enhancing road safety and adapting to modern transportation needs. The proposed changes, sent to over a hundred operators and associations for feedback, touch upon various aspects of road use, from the burgeoning world of delivery riders to the licensing age for new drivers.

For cyclists, particularly those using powerful electric bikes often employed by delivery services, the ministry is proposing mandatory helmet use and a specific marking or license plate. Motorcyclists could see changes allowing them to use emergency lanes during traffic slowdowns on highways, and a potential halving of fines for parking violations. The ministry also plans to revise speed limit penalties, making them more progressive. Under the proposed system, exceeding higher speed limits would incur significantly steeper fines due to the increased danger.

For instance, on highways with a 130 km/h limit, exceeding it by 10 km/h could result in a €100 fine, while driving 40 km/h over the limit could lead to a €400 penalty. On roads with 50 or 30 km/h limits, fines would increase by €5 per km/h over the limit. A significant change could be the introduction of a B license for 17-year-olds, potentially making driving accessible at a younger age.

The overarching goal, as stated by the ministry, is to create a Highway Code that is "as close as possible to the needs of motorists, with traffic safety as a priority." The proposed directives also include greater protections for vulnerable road users, stricter measures against uninsured vehicles, and more proportionate, less burdensome fines. Additionally, there are plans to enhance road safety through increased resources and to tackle issues like unpaid fines by foreign drivers and abandoned vehicles.

arrive at a text that is the most close possible to the needs of motorists, with the safety of circulation as priority.

— Ministry of Infrastructure and TransportStating the objective behind the proposed revisions to the Highway Code.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ANSA in Italian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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