The Council of Ministers has preliminarily approved the New Highway Code: the text, proposed by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport and discussed with over 100 trade associations, introduces several innovations that had already been discussed in the previous months. It must be said immediately that the legislation is not yet definitive: the decree will first have to complete the procedure envisaged for the enabling law. In the event of definitive approval, the entry into force of the new Highway Code could be set for the first months of 2027, but the date has yet to be confirmed.
As highlighted by the Government, the new Code is divided «along four lines: the digitization of documents, notifications, assessments and databases; strengthening road safety and the protection of vulnerable users; the regulation of new forms of mobility and automated driving; the overall review of the sanctioning system”.
Among the main points of this new text are the general reduction in fines, tougher measures for those who drive a vehicle without insurance and the possibility for motorcyclists to use the emergency lane on the motorway in the event of accidents or slowdowns.
The news for fines: lower amounts and notification within 45 days
The first changes certainly concern the sanctions applied following infringements of the Highway Code: in addition to the suspension of the automatic biennial adjustment to inflation, the decree provides for downward rounding of the amounts. For example:
- The minimum fines of €26.42 drop to €25.40;
- The fines of 83 and 87 euros are reduced to 80 euros.
Among other things, the document also introduces a progressive criterion for sanctions related to speeding, the amount of which increases for each kilometer per hour over the limit. For fines exceeding 200 euros (ascertained with a single report) it will be possible to request payment in installments, provided that the recipient demonstrates that they are “in difficult economic conditions”.
The times for notification of reports also change, in the event that the dispute is not immediate. In this case:
- Municipalities will have 45 days, instead of 90, to notify the report when the assessment takes place remotely.
The procedures regarding the Unified European Disabled Badge (CUDE) have also been simplified: in this case, all Municipalities will have to join the national platform to guarantee recognition of the badge throughout the Italian territory.
New deadlines for driving licenses
As far as driving licenses are concerned, the legislative decree ends the obligation to carry paper driving and circulation documents (i.e. the driving license and the booklet), which can be verified electronically by the police bodies.
Furthermore, the age limit for the ten-year renewal of group 1 licenses (including those for motorcycles and cars) is raised from 50 to 65 years, while the age limit for professional transport with all group 2 licenses (buses and trucks, so to speak, therefore C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E, D and DE licenses) is raised from 68 to 70 years, with the obligation of biannual verification.
From the point of view of pedestrians, however, there is an obligation to be careful when crossing and to make themselves visible at night on extra-urban roads without lighting.
What does he foresee for insurance companies: stop to “Polish license plates”
The toughest measures instead concern the issue of insurance: first of all, an indefinite driving ban is introduced for those who drive without insurance. Therefore, as long as a vehicle is without insurance coverage, it will not be able to circulate.
But there is an important change that concerns foreign license plates: article 81 paragraph 3 establishes the insurance obligation according to Italian rules for foreign vehicles that circulate in Italy for more than 30 days (even if not continuously in the calendar year). For sums not paid by foreign users, compulsory collection is envisaged.
In practice, this means the end of the stratagem of the so-called “Polish plates” (or in any case foreign plates), used in some cities such as Naples for reasons that are above all economic, given the exorbitant costs for car insurance in the Campania capital, which can exceed 2,000 euros. To learn more about the topic, find one of our video articles at this link.
The changes for motorcyclists and scooters
Two wheels are another important issue: first of all, motorcyclists will be allowed to use the emergency lane on the motorway in the event of accidents or slowdowns, always guaranteeing the passage of emergency vehicles, but allowing the motorbikes to proceed without further obstructing the roadways.
For what are considered “propelled cycles” (for example the electric “super-bikes” used by rider,) instead, the obligation to wear a helmet and badge is triggered, which will allow the vehicle and owner to be uniquely identified.
For electric scooters, another category regulated several times by the Ministry of Transport, a traffic ban will be introduced if they constitute an obstacle or danger to pedestrians.
Proposals not approved
In reality, the new Highway Code has been discussed since last August, after the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport had sent a new text to over one hundred operators and sector associations that would respond as much as possible to the needs of motorists, with traffic safety as a priority.
Some of the proposals put forward two months ago, however, were not approved: first of all the possibility of obtaining a driving license at 17 (and no longer 18), a rule that is increasingly widespread in Europe but which, at least for now, seems to have been set aside.
Nothing can be done about the possible introduction of overtaking on the right on the motorway, a provision which would risk making traffic on the motorways more dangerous.
