Penalties, Points, License Point System & Fines in Italy
Here is useful info about Penalties, Points, License Point System & Fines in Italy. Read more here.
* Traffic Police (Polizia Stradale) manage the Italian highways and roads
* Municipal Police (Polizia Comunale) enforce the traffic and parking regulations in Italian towns
When driving, carry photo ID, driving license, vehicle registration papers and insurance papers. There are penalties for drivers of vehicles without valid insurance. Documents verifying valid insurance coverage must be kept in the vehicle at all times.
Driving above the speed limit, and driving while using a mobile cellular phone are subject to fines.
It is compulsory to keep a reflective jacket (orange, red or yellow) as well as a warning triangle in the car. Anybody not complying with this rule is subject to a fine and having two points taken off the driving license.
People driving with a blood alcohol content at or above 0.5 g/l are subject to a fine, driving ban and/or imprisonment.
License Points System
In 2003, a new Highway Code (Codice della Strada) was launched in Italy with the objective of making the roads safer. The penalties for various infringements of the law were increased and a points-based penalty system introduced.
A total number of 20 points are assigned to a driver’s licence, and with each offence the driver may lose points (1 point, 2 points, 3 points, 5 points or 10 points). Drivers who lose 20 points from their licence must take a new driving test. A driver may get points back provided that no further offences are committed over a fixed period of time.
Serious infringements of the law (such as exceeding the speed limit by more than 40 Km/h, driving in an emergency lane, drinking and driving) may lead to the revocation of the licence.
These rules apply to anybody holding a driving license, even if the points system is not applicable in the country of origin. If 20 points are lost within a year the person is suspended from driving in Italy for a period of 2 years; if the person loses the entire 20 points within a timeframe of 2 years, then they are forbidden to drive in Italy for a period of 1 year; and if the total of 20 points is lost within 2 and 3 years, then the person is forbidden to drive in Italy for a period of six months.
