Overview
- The Transport Ministry submitted the draft Highway Code to public consultation on Thursday, proposing a €75 fine for pedestrians who cross or walk on the roadway while using devices that divert their gaze.
- The text explicitly lists smartphones, mobile phones, tablets, cameras and laptops as covered devices and would also require pedestrians to stop, look both ways and avoid abrupt crossings.
- The proposal leaves enforcement methods and the full list of prohibited actions unspecified, and a final version of the code is expected after public consultation and revision in October.
- The draft builds on a 2023 Italian Cour de cassation ruling that can remove driver liability when a pedestrian’s sudden, unpredictable conduct makes a collision unavoidable.
- Public reaction in Italy is split and coverage compares France’s legal position, where drivers typically remain liable for collisions with pedestrians, while critics warn fines could be applied even when no accident occurs.