Starting from mid-October next year... Italy fines mobile phone users while crossing roads

Italy plans to tighten traffic regulations and impose fines on pedestrians who use smartphones while crossing roads, as part of measures aimed at reducing accidents caused by distraction and enhancing road safety. According to Deutsche Welle, the proposed amendments include a fine of 75 euros for pedestrians who cross the road while distracted by their smartphones, and are expected to be approved in mid-October. The fines also cover laptops, tablets, and cameras, as well as headphones if they impair pedestrians’ ability to monitor traffic.

These measures target dangerous situations arising from pedestrians entering the road suddenly or without paying attention to vehicular traffic, which can prevent drivers from stopping in time. Under the proposed amendments, pedestrians must ensure before crossing that drivers have noticed them and will stop their vehicles to allow them to pass.

These steps follow several court rulings in Italy that assigned partial liability to pedestrians in some traffic accidents. Other European countries, including Spain and Lithuania, already impose fines for using mobile phones while crossing roads.