Smartphone ban: Italy will soon pay for distracted pedestrians

Italy is cracking down on cell phone use in traffic and will soon be targeting pedestrians too. The bill provides for penalties for looking at the display. Another everyday gadget is also coming into the focus of the judiciary.

Planned penalties for pedestrians

The Italian Ministry of Transport under Matteo Salvini is planning a far-reaching reform of the road traffic regulations. Pedestrians who use electronic devices such as smartphones or tablets when crossing a road will in future be fined 75 euros. The planned regulation is not limited to typing messages or watching videos. Wearing headphones should also be sanctioned if this limits the acoustic perception of what is happening on the road. However, using the devices on the sidewalk remains unpunished. A general ban is not being sought; rather, the focus is on undivided attention when entering the street.

Again Mercury reports, the government in Rome is responding to the increasing number of accidents with the draft. Last year, more than 300 people died in traffic accidents involving pedestrians in Italy. In addition, courts have recently found inattentive passers-by to be partly to blame for serious collisions, which increased the pressure on politicians to take action.

New obligations at zebra crossings

In addition to eliminating the display, the draft stipulates additional obligations for people on foot. Before crossing, pedestrians must stop at the side of the road and actively make sure that approaching vehicles have noticed them. Sudden changes of direction on the road will also be strictly prohibited in the future and violations can result in a fine. Incidentally, Italy is not alone internationally with such measures. Several countries and cities have already firmly established similar accident prevention concepts:

Implementation next year

The project is currently still in the coordination phase. Various transport associations and civil organizations have until mid-September to comment in detail on the plans. A final version of the law is expected in October; the introduction is expected for spring 2027. Proponents of the reform praise the approach to reducing the number of accidents.

Critics, on the other hand, criticize the difficulty of controlling it in everyday life and fear that unsuspecting tourists will become the primary target of the fines. In addition to the rules for pedestrians, the law also includes stricter regulations for users of e-scooters and tougher penalties for driving under the influence of alcohol.