The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport has sent over a hundred operators and industry associations a series of proposals to revise the Highway Code, with the aim of completing a consultation process and reaching a text that takes into account the needs of motorists and road safety. The proposals number around fifteen and concern young drivers, motorcyclists, delivery riders, people with disabilities and road safety. At this stage these are proposals under review: subsequently it will be assessed which ones will become law.

Among the main innovations announced is the lowering of the minimum age for obtaining a category B driving licence from 18 to 17 years. Considering that the reform which entered into force on 14 December 2024 allowed new licence holders to drive more powerful cars, the new measure would enable young people to drive a car of approximately 142 horsepower from the age of 17.

The ministry also proposes mandatory helmets and registration plates for so-called propulsion cycles, that is, more powerful electric bikes also used by delivery riders for home deliveries. However, this requirement is already foreseen by Italian law: propulsion cycles, regulated by EU Regulation 168/2013, are classified as mopeds if they do not meet the characteristics of pedal-assisted velocipedes. Helmets, registration plates, insurance and an AM licence are already mandatory for these vehicles. The ministry's intervention would therefore serve to clarify an existing obligation rather than introduce a new one.

A significant part of the proposals concerns fines. The ministry is working on simpler sanctions that are more proportionate to the actual severity of violations. In particular, on motorways a fine of 10 euros per kilometre per hour above the limit is envisaged: with a limit of 130 km/h, travelling at 140 would result in a 100 euro fine, while at 170 km/h the sanction would reach 400 euros. On roads with a limit of 50 or 30 km/h the fine would be 5 euros per kilometre per hour in excess. It should be noted that the proportionality of sanctions is already provided for in the Highway Code, which takes into account the severity of the violation, the action taken by the officer to eliminate its consequences and the economic circumstances of the offender.

The ministry also announces a reduction from 90 to 30 days of the deadline for notifying fine notices relating to remote enforcement, such as speed cameras, ZTL cameras and other automatic devices. The new deadline would fall on the enforcement authority, in particular municipalities and local police, who would have to manage the acquisition of images, verification and notification more quickly. If the deadline is not met, the fine could no longer be contested, to the benefit of the offender.

The ministry also proposes an end to the automatic adjustment of fines linked to inflation, with adjustments only in the presence of increases exceeding 5%, and a simpler procedure for self-review to request the cancellation of erroneous fine notices. A crackdown on uninsured vehicles is also planned, with strengthened checks through Motorizzazione databases, possible immediate seizure at the first roadside check, doubling of sanctions, greater licence point deductions and suspension of the driving licence for up to 15 days.

The ministry also announces a crackdown on fines unpaid by foreign drivers within five years of the violation, with the possibility of coercive collection against anyone driving in Italy with the vehicle used to commit the offence. For motorcyclists, the use of the emergency lane on motorways in the event of accidents or severe slowdowns is under consideration, while always ensuring the passage of emergency vehicles, along with a reduction of sanctions for motorcycles parked in no-stopping zones.

Finally, the ministry is evaluating the introduction of overtaking on the right on motorways and dual carriageways with three lanes, through parallel-lane circulation. The introduction of an obligation for municipalities to join the CUDE platform for the European parking badge for people with disabilities is also foreseen, with the impossibility of using remote enforcement devices for parking and ZTL violations in case of non-compliance. The ministry further proposes that 70% of fine revenues be reinvested in road safety measures and 30% retained by the enforcement authority for control and notification activities.