Italy heading towards tougher action against distracted drivers

The transport commission at the Italian Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday discussed how to punish cell phone use while driving as part of highway code reform.

League rapporteur promoter Giuseppe Donina said that while one cannot ban using cell phones while driving entirely, there is an urgent need to send the message that one cannot get distracted while driving.

Under discussion is how to word the reform precisely so as to limit interpretation. The draft reform was created through proposals by the League and the Five Star Movement (M5S) and will result in fines for those caught distracted by smartphones, laptops, notebooks, tablets, and other devices of between 161-647 euros to 422-1,697, alongside a suspension of the driver’s license from 7 days to 2 months for the first infraction.
The commission will resume discussion on the matter on Thursday but Donina said that he expected it to take about 10 days to move forward.

Via Il Messagero