The new Road Safety Code has been launched, discussion awaits in the Council of Ministers

The new Road Safety Code has been launched, discussion awaits in the Council of Ministers

Hard line on drugs, with the overcoming of the "state of alteration": anyone stopped after taking drugs will have their license suspended. While for the repeat drunks the absolute ban on drinking alcohol before driving and mandatory alcohol lock, the device that blocks the ignition of the vehicle in the event of a positive alcohol test, also after the Casal Palocco accident.

These are some of the innovations foreseen in the bill on the highway code that the deputy prime minister and minister Matteo Salvini is developing in view of the Council of Ministers today, 22 June 2023.

And yet: no powerful cars for three years for new drivers (after the license the possibility of driving «cars (category M1) with combustion engines, specific power, referred to the tare weight, greater than 55 kW/t/or in any case maximum power equal to or greater than 70 kW»), super fines and withdrawal of driving license in case of serious infringements. These are just some of the points in the draft of the Road Safety Code Bill.

«In the highway code we have included road safety education, prevention, checks and then heavy sanctions for those who make mistakes, leading to the lifetime revocation of the license for repeat offenders, who kill, which now happens too often, while driving while drugged or drunk. But I trust, but..." says the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Matteo Salvini, speaking at the ANCE assembly.

Zero toleranceMIT sources report, for infringements with the possibility of definitive revocation of the driving document for the most serious cases. We introduce the license suspension for anyone caught driving with a cell phone, on the wrong side of the road and for all behaviors that statistically generate high accident rates.

More guarantees for cyclists, which will be protected especially in the event of overtaking (Overtaking is prohibited unless there is one and a half meters of space), and clarity on scooters with license plates, insurance and helmet requirement. If a minor is found driving she will have to wait until she is 24 to get her license. The scooters must also have direction indicators (the "arrows"). And they will only be able to circulate on urban roads with speed limits below 50 kilometers per hour. And therefore no longer on cycle paths and pedestrian areas. Fines will range from 200 to 800 euros. There will also be a ban on parking on sidewalks. Managers, however, will have the obligation to install automatic systems that prevent their operation outside urban areas.

Salvini: "Heavy sanctions for those who make mistakes, revocation of license for life for those who kill".

The life sentence of the driving licence It is reserved for those who commit very serious crimes while driving. How to escape after an accident. Traffic education will also be given in high schools. The courses will give the right to two extra points on your license.

The license can be suspended for 15 days for anyone who breaks the Highway Code and has less than 20 points.

Among the offenses indicated, failure to comply with the prohibited direction and the prohibition on overtaking e «exceeding the maximum speed limits by more than 10 km/h and no more than 40 km/h». The suspension of the driving license ranges from 7 to 15 days depending on the number of points possessed at the time of the assessment. The suspension days are doubled if an accident has occurred.

The infringements include exceeding speed limits, running red lights, prohibited U-turns, infringements on motorways as well as driving against traffic. The rules on speed cameras are also changing. Which will be able to ascertain multiple violations at the same time. Such as exceeding the speed limit and lack of inspection.

In the draft of the bill it is established that «devices for the automatic detection and detection of violations can simultaneously detect two or more violations». It is also envisaged that the approval procedures will be equated with those for the approval of speed detection systems and the exclusive competence of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport in this matter is clarified.

In particular, the need for approval of vehicle speed measurement devices is excluded. And it is expressly recognized that their approval is sufficient. Thus remedying the high level of litigation regarding fines for speeding generated by this ambiguity. Which had effectively made the automatic detection of infringements useless. It is also expected to «resolve the strong criticality of multiple checks in limited traffic zones, through the introduction of a simple and unequivocal rule: avoid sanctioning the user who enters the limited traffic zone at the exit when he is not the ban is in force, given that exceptional events could lead to an involuntary stay in the same area" .

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, speaking of the need for the principle of trust, added: «There are two ways of seeing the world, this applies to tax evasion. Today there is data from the Financial Police and for the new highway code. Since there is someone who runs a red light, I complicate the lives of all motorists. Since there is someone who evades taxes, it's not just one, it's several thousand, I complicate the lives of all entrepreneurs in their dealings with the tax authorities".