Alcohol, drugs and mobile phones in the car, the tightening of the Highway Code will come into force before Christmas

Alcohol, drug use, mobile phone driving, speeding, abandoning animals: the tightening of the Road Code to limit road accidents and victims has arrived. The changes, approved last week by Parliament, according to Ansa, will be published today in the Official Gazette published by the Poligrafico. The countdown to the so-called vacatio legis has begun, and the application of the new fines and suspensions will start on 14 December, before Christmas. Motorists, in the throes of the Christmas and end-of-year festivities, will have to be more careful to avoid maximum fines or the suspension of their driving licence.

The penalty for driving with a smartphone will range from a minimum of EUR 250 to a maximum of EUR 1,000. An automatic suspension of one week is also included if you are caught with your phone behind the wheel and have at least 10 points on your licence. In the event of a repeat offence, the fine rises to EUR 1,400, the licence suspension can be up to three months, and a deduction of 8 to 10 points is added. The suspension time is doubled if the use of the mobile phone causes an accident or drives another vehicle off the road.

Zero tolerance is triggered: if the blood alcohol level is between 0.51 and 0.8 grams per litre, you receive a fine of between 573 and 2,170 euros, with a licence suspension of three to six months. If the blood alcohol level is between 0.81 and 1.5 grams per litre, a double penalty of imprisonment and a fine (imprisonment of up to six months and a fine of between 800 and 3,200 euros) is imposed. Suspension of driving licence from 6 months to one year. If the blood alcohol level is higher than 1.5 grams per litre, the offence is punishable by imprisonment and a fine (imprisonment of 6 months to one year and a fine of 1,500 to 6,000 euros) and licence suspension from one to two years. What can you drink in practice? It depends on your weight, height and whether you are on a full stomach: generally speaking, you are safe with a glass of wine or a can of beer or a shot of spirits. For newly licensed drivers, the rules already in force stipulate a zero alcohol level for three years. All cases of drink driving lead to the deduction of 10 points from the driving licence. Penalties also include the obligation to install an alcolock in the car, a device that prevents the engine from starting if a blood alcohol level above zero is detected.

Zero tolerance also for driving after taking drugs. It will be enough to test positive for a driver's licence to be revoked and suspended for three years.

Penalties of 173 to 694 euros for anyone exceeding the maximum speed limit by more than 10 km/h and by no more than 40 km/h. If the breach is committed within a built-up area and at least twice within a year, the penalty is increased to between 220 and 880 euros with suspension of the driving licence from fifteen to thirty days.