Abandoning animals on roads becomes a serious offense in Italy. Drivers who leave their pets on the road or in adjacent areas risk up to 7 years in prison if the animal causes a fatal accident. Additionally, their license will be suspended for between 6 months and a year.
The new Road Code, set to come into force by Christmas, brings many other important changes for drivers.
Those who use their phone while driving will have their license suspended for a week if they have between 10-20 points, 15 days without a license if they have less than 10 points, fines ranging from 250-1,697 euros for the first offense, plus suspension for 15 days - 2 months, and for repeat offenses: 350-2,588 euros fine and suspension for 1-3 months.
Harsh penalties for drunk driving
The new Road Code introduces harsh penalties for those caught driving under the influence. It all depends on the amount of alcohol found in the blood.
For drivers with a blood alcohol level between 0.5 and 0.8 grams per liter, the law provides for a fine ranging from 573 to 2,170 euros. Additionally, these drivers will lose their driving license for a period between three and six months.
The situation becomes much more serious when the blood alcohol level is between 0.8 and 1.5 grams per liter. In this case, the driver can face up to six months in prison, receive a fine between 800 and 3,200 euros, and lose their license for a period between six months and a year.
The harshest penalties are reserved for drivers with a blood alcohol level above 1.5 grams per liter. They will be imprisoned for between six months and a year, fined between 1,500 and 6,000 euros, and lose their license for a period between one and two years.
10 points will be automatically deducted from the driving license in all cases of driving under the influence of alcohol. If the intoxicated driver also causes an accident, the deducted points will be doubled.
An important novelty is the introduction of the alcohol blocking system - a device similar to a breathalyzer that will be mandatory for repeat offenders. The car will not start if this device detects alcohol in the driver's exhaled air.
License plates and insurance for electric scooters
Drivers must keep a distance of at least one and a half meters when overtaking a bicycle, if traffic conditions allow. For electric bicycles, the law sets clear limits: the maximum power cannot exceed 250 watts, and the speed must be limited to 30 kilometers per hour.
Regarding electric scooters, the new rules are even stricter. Each scooter must have a license plate that cannot be removed. Turn signals become mandatory, and those without them risk fines between 200 and 800 euros. All users, regardless of age, must wear a protective helmet.
Insurance also becomes mandatory for scooters - those riding without it risk fines between 100 and 400 euros.
Chaotic parking, driving on bicycle lanes, and pedestrian areas are prohibited.
Furthermore, new scooter models will need to have an automatic system that blocks them if they leave urban areas where they are allowed to operate, and the speed cannot exceed 50 km/h.
Experts emphasize that bicycle lanes must be built under real safety conditions, not just by drawing a simple white line on the asphalt.
Domenico Musicco, lawyer and president of the Committee for Victims of Road Accidents, believes that although the law brings improvements, especially in the alcohol and drug sections, important measures are still missing, such as mandatory road education in schools and more traffic checks.