A revision to Italy's Highway Code will also impose fines on pedestrians who look at their mobile phones while crossing the road. The move comes as an initiative by the transport ministry that seeks to improve road safety in the country.
The violation, which has been included in the draft of the new Highway Code and is expected to be approved in mid-October, will carry a fine of 75 euros or more.
The aim of the measure is to reduce cases in which a driver does not have enough time to react to a pedestrian whose attention is distracted by his mobile phone.
The measure follows several Italian court rulings that have blamed careless pedestrians for accidents. The ban also applies to other electronic devices, such as laptops, tablets and digital cameras.
However, pedestrians will still be able to talk using headphones while crossing the street, as well as use their mobile phones in case of emergency.
The use of headphones is also permitted, provided that pedestrians can hear sufficiently with both ears.
The bill also stipulates that, before crossing a road, pedestrians must ensure that the driver of an approaching vehicle has noticed them and intends to stop. In addition, pedestrians must not delay crossing the road to reach the opposite side.
Italy is not the first country to introduce such a regulation. In 2018, Lithuania imposed fines on pedestrians who used mobile phones or engaged in any other activity that could distract them while crossing the road.
In 2017, Honolulu became the first city in the world to implement similar rules, while in 2020 the city of Yamato in Japan followed suit. ©LAPSI.al
