DRIVING A CAR IN ITALY

Are you about to rent a car in Italy and want to be informed about the main road bans and obligations in the Belpaese?

Here is some of the information that may be useful to you during and after your trip.

Seat BeltsSeat belts are compulsory for the driver and all passengers in vehicles, including quadricycles and minicars.
Main traffic regulations:

Driving, on all Italian roads, is on the right. Correct behaviour requires the vehicle to occupy the free lane furthest to the right of the carriageway. Left-hand lanes are reserved for overtaking.
It is forbidden to drive on the emergency lane, which is reserved for emergency vehicles and emergency stops.
An adequate safety distance between vehicles must be maintained in order to avoid collision with the vehicle in front in the event of a stop.

SPEED LIMITS

Vehicles The maximum permitted speed for vehicles, unless otherwise indicated on signs, is

➢ 130 km/h on motorways. The Highway Code stipulates that on motorways with three lanes, in each direction, the owners or concessionaires may raise the maximum speed limit to 150 km/h subject to the installation of the appropriate signs and depending on the characteristics of the carriageway

➢ 110 km/h
on main extra-urban roads

➢ 90 km/h on secondary suburban roads and local roads

➢ 50 km/h in built-up areas, with
the possibility of raising this limit to a maximum of 70 km/h for urban roads whose construction and functional characteristics allow this, subject to the installation of appropriate signs. In the event of atmospheric precipitation of any kind, the maximum speed may not exceed 110 km/h for motorways and 90 km/h for main roads.

USE OF LIGHTS

It is mandatory to keep position and dipped headlights switched on outside built-up areas. Driving lamps (high beams) may be used when there is poor visibility as long as they do not cause discomfort to the driver of the vehicle passing or following, or when there is a danger of dazzling other road users. In urban centres, it is compulsory to keep position lights and dipped headlights switched on half an hour after sunset and half an hour before sunrise, as well as when there is poor visibility (e.g. rain, fog, snow).

LANES RESERVED FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT

It is forbidden to drive in the lanes reserved for public transport. They are marked with yellow vertical and horizontal signs.

ACCESS TO RESTRICTED TRAFFIC ZONES (ZTL)

Restricted Traffic Zones (ZTLs) are areas, mainly in historic city centres, where private vehicles cannot enter except at certain times, i.e. generally in the early morning and late afternoon. The days and times vary from city to city, depending on local ordinances. Every time a vehicle enters or leaves a restricted traffic zone, the cameras photograph its number plate. The photograph is automatically sent to the Municipal Police and, if the vehicle is not is not authorised to enter the area, a fine is sent to the vehicle owner. The LTZs are identifiable by signs with a white circle bordered in red.

ROTATORIE

When entering a roundabout, right of way is given according to any specific signs placed in the vicinity. In the absence of signs (to stop or give way), it is mandatory to give way to those coming from the right. Drivers approaching a roundabout must: use the utmost caution to avoid accidents; regulate their speed both when entering and exiting; assess lane changes carefully when driving through it, taking care not to cut off other motorists and be ready to give way to other vehicles, paying particular attention to pedestrian crossings.

PEDONI

It is mandatory to stop when the pedestrian is crossing at or near the zebra crossing. If the pedestrian is in the process of crossing at the zebra crossing or has already begun to cross streets without one, the pedestrian must be given right of way and therefore slow down and stop if necessary. Particular attention must be paid to crossing and the predictable behaviour of the disabled, elderly and children.

PARKING

Each colour, in fact, provides an indication, specific or general, of who and how may use that delimited space, sometimes with other symbols or inscriptions that specify even more precisely to whom and for what use it is intended, and further indications provided by the vertical signs, i.e. the signs hung on the bollards in the immediate vicinity.

White stripes

These are the 'free' ones, on which you can park for free. Beware, however, of vertical signs, parking may be limited in time and a time disc indicating the time of arrival must be displayed. If there are other areas around a marked parking space covered by diagonal stripes, it means that you should not park on those, but should be left free for passing or for manoeuvring.

Blue stripes

Well known to those who live mainly in large cities, but also in medium-sized towns and cities, are pay parking spaces. In order to use them, one has to buy a ticket in the nearest vending machine (in some cases even indicating the number plate of the vehicle) or with the increasingly popular and convenient apps that allow one to increase the parking time even remotely. Some reserved parking spaces, e.g. for electric cars, may be located in blue zones and thus not distinguished from other colours such as green. On these, however, the recharging symbol is prominently displayed, as well as the charging column. In this case, always remember that parking is linked to recharging, so they are no longer simply parking spaces but areas where the service can be used and which must be vacated once recharging is complete. Otherwise, you will be fined.

Yellow stripes

This colour never appears 'alone', in the sense that yellow indicates spaces reserved for certain special categories, so they are always accompanied by symbols, lettering and any vertical signs specifying the category and limits of these parking spaces. They range from those for the handicapped, on which it is however obligatory to display the special badge issued on request by the municipality and linked to the number plate of the specific vehicle, but also the police, service vehicles such as taxis or residents in a certain area... Here too there are often diagonal stripes to be left free, corresponding to the space to comfortably open the doors and let users get in and out.

Areas designated for loading and unloading goods in front of shops, warehouses and other businesses are also yellow. In the latter case, parking is temporary and tied precisely to the delivery or receipt of goods, after which the vehicle must be removed for the same reason that prevents leaving a car parked on electric charging bays if it is not charging, i.e. to make it available to those who really need it.

Normally, however, this takes place at specific times expressly indicated by vertical signs, which roughly correspond to the operating hours of the business. Outside these hours, occupying them is not forbidden, but beware. If there are no precise indications, the area is understood to be reserved for loading and unloading 24 hours a day and therefore parking is always prohibited.

Green stripes

They are a relatively recent innovation: green is the colour associated with ecology and this is sometimes used to indicate electric car parking spaces, which can also be blue. Those for recharging are always accompanied by the recharging symbol and, in case it needs to be pointed out, the presence of a recharging column or wallbox, and as already explained, are only to be occupied for the time of charging.
Some cities, however, have also started to introduce green parking spaces, or rather, green strips alongside blue ones, without charging: these are not exclusively dedicated to zero-emission cars, but allow those with an electric or hybrid to park for free for a certain period. They can also be occupied by non-electric cars, which will then pay for parking as normal as on the blue stripes.

Pink stripes

These areas are reserved for pregnant women or parents, of either sex, of children up to 2 years of age. Their presence is not compulsory but left to the discretion of individual municipalities. Where they are present, however, to use them one must apply for a permit with medical documentation attesting to the pregnancy or birth status of the children, and while they are basically free of charge, they may be subject to small bureaucratic fees.

USE OF LENSES, MOBILE PHONES AND ELECTRONIC DEVICES

The holder of a driving licence who is required to use lenses or other equipment is obliged to use them while driving.

It is forbidden, while driving a vehicle, to use a mobile phone and electronic devices (e.g. tablets and similar devices, headphones for music).

Mobile phones may only be used using hands-free or headset devices, provided the driver retains adequate hearing capacity.

Footwear

The driver can responsibly decide which type of footwear suitable for driving to use. The ban on wearing open-toed shoes no longer exists, as almost all braking systems are now hydraulic or computerised. The general principle therefore applies that the driver's behaviour must be responsible and self-disciplined in the choice of clothing and accessories in order to ensure effective driving action by allowing the greatest possible freedom of movement and grip on the pedals.

BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL, NARCOTIC AND PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES

The permitted blood alcohol level is 0.5 grams per litre (g/l). The blood alcohol level must be zero for novice drivers (first three years after obtaining their licence), young people up to 21 years of age and professional drivers. It is prohibited to drive in a state of psycho-physical alteration due to the consumption of narcotic and/or psychotropic substances.

Main sanctions

For your information, we indicate the main sanctions provided for in the Highway Code in the event of a traffic offence:

➢ Safety belts are compulsory for the driver and all passengers of vehicles, including quadricycles and minicars. For failure to use child safety seats/adapters or seat belts for minors, the driver or, if present, the person responsible for the supervision of the minor is liable. In the event of infringement, the sanctions laid down in Art. 172, para.
10, of the Highway Code

➢ in the event of a breach of the speed limit, the sanctions provided for in Article 142(7) of the Road Traffic Act apply

➢ in the case of access to restricted traffic zones, the sanctions provided for in Article 7(14) of the Road Traffic Act apply

➢ if driving while intoxicated, the penalties provided for in Article 186(2) of the Road Traffic Act apply, depending on the blood alcohol level, with suspension or revocation

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