Distracted Italian pedestrians who cross road while on phone could be fined under new code

Italy Fines Distracted Italian Pedestrians Who Cross

Wanderstayfinder.com – A major overhaul of Italy’s highway code will soon attach monetary penalties to walkers who check a phone, tablet, or any other screen while stepping into a roadway. Distracted Italian pedestrians who cross a street while staring at a device will face fines beginning at €75 under the draft text, which the transport ministry says is designed to close the reaction-time gap that turns a routine crossing into a collision. Parliamentary ratification is projected for mid-October.

Judicial Precedent and the Scope of the Ban

The measure is rooted in a pattern of court rulings in which judges have already apportioned fault to pedestrians whose inattention contributed to a crash. If the judiciary treats a screen-locked walker as partially culpable, the ministry argues, the code should codify that standard ex ante rather than waiting for litigation after the fact. The prohibition covers smartphones, tablets, laptops, and digital cameras alike whenever the user is in the path of vehicular traffic. Hands-free voice calls remain permitted, a phone may be consulted in a genuine emergency, and earbuds are tolerated so long as ambient sound reaches both ears. None of these rules apply on a sidewalk; the penalty triggers only inside the roadway itself.

Affirmative Crossing Duties and Global Context

Beyond banning screen use, the draft imposes positive obligations at intersections. Before entering a lane, a pedestrian must verify that an approaching driver has registered their presence and is preparing to yield. Once the crossing has begun, the walker may not pause, reverse direction, or hesitate mid-roadway—a rule the ministry justifies by noting that an unpredictable stop creates a second hazard for a driver already committed to a braking manoeuvre.

Italy would not be the first jurisdiction to fine phone-using walkers. Honolulu, Hawaii, enacted the world’s first such municipal penalty in 2017; Lithuania followed in 2018; Japan’s Yamato City adopted comparable provisions in 2020. What sets the Italian proposal apart is its national reach and its embedding within a comprehensive highway-code revision rather than a single-city ordinance.

The same legislative package also escalates penalties for motorists who use phones behind the wheel. Repeat offenders now face fines climbing to €2,588 alongside licence suspensions of one to three months, a structure intended to move past the largely symbolic first-offence fines common across European traffic law.

Earlier drafts had included a separate clause restricting drivers aged 85 and older to a 100-kilometre radius from home and barring them from motorways entirely. The proposal drew swift public criticism for imposing a blanket age threshold that ignored individual fitness. Transport Minister Matteo Salvini ordered the clause excised, and the ministry confirmed on Sunday that no version of the age-based restriction would survive into the final text.

For millions of commuters who glance at messages, maps, or social feeds at every intersection, the practical effect will be straightforward: the phone stays in the pocket until the crossing is complete.

FAQ: Practical Questions About the New Crossing Rules

What is the minimum fine for checking a phone while crossing? The draft sets the starting penalty at €75, with higher tiers for repeat offences.

Can I take a hands-free voice call while crossing? Yes. The prohibition targets visual screen use; hands-free audio calls remain permitted in the roadway.

Does the rule apply on the sidewalk? No. The penalty triggers only when a pedestrian is actually in the path of vehicular traffic, not while walking along a pavement or sidewalk.

When does the new code take effect? Formal parliamentary approval is projected for mid-October 2026, after which standard implementation timelines would apply.