The Italian government is pushing to fine pedestrians who cross the street while looking at their mobile phones.
According to local media, the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport is preparing a road traffic law amendment that would impose a fine of at least 75 euros, or about 120,000 won, on pedestrians who use mobile phones while crossing a crosswalk.
This acknowledges that distracted pedestrians who look at their phones while crossing the road also bear partial responsibility for traffic accidents.
The Italian government's measure reflects recent rulings by Italian courts on pedestrian traffic accidents, which ultimately determined that pedestrians also hold partial fault and liability.
The items subject to usage restrictions include not only mobile phones, but also laptops, tablets, and digital cameras.
In addition to banning mobile phone use, the Italian government has strengthened pedestrians' duty of care when crossing crosswalks.
It has codified rules stating that pedestrians must not blindly cross the road, but first check whether the driver intends to stop, and once crossing has begun, avoid hesitating or unnecessarily delaying.
Furthermore, it is mandatory to first check whether the driver of an approaching vehicle has noticed the pedestrian when crossing the crosswalk.
Regulations on mobile phone use for drivers have also been tightened, so that drivers caught using a mobile phone while driving will face a fine of up to 2,588 euros or a driver's license suspension of up to three months.
The new Italian traffic law containing these provisions is expected to receive parliamentary approval around mid-October.
The Italian government expects that once the new traffic law takes effect, accidents caused by pedestrian negligence while crossing the road while looking at phones will decrease.
Restrictions on pedestrian mobile phone use have previously been implemented not only in Italy, but also in Honolulu, Australia, and Lithuania.
(Video Editing: Kim Yoon-sung)
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