Overview

• Lawmakers will vote this week on a new traffic code that introduces tougher enforcement and sanctions.
• First offenses for using a mobile phone at the wheel or riding without a helmet will carry €350 fines and 30-day driving bans, with penalties escalating for repeat violations.
• Inner-city speed limits will drop to 30 km/h on residential streets and remain at 50 km/h on main urban roads.
• Drivers caught with blood alcohol levels above 0.5‰ face minimum €700 fines and bans of up to ten years.
• Pedestrians crossing on red lights will incur €30 penalties, and mid-June operations will target about 500,000 uninsured vehicles.