Italy to Fine Pedestrians Using Phones While Crossing Street

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 (approx. 120,000 KRW) if pedestrians use mobile phones while crossing a crosswalk.

This acknowledges that inattentive pedestrians who look at their mobile phones while crossing the road also bear partial responsibility for traffic accidents.

The Italian government's move reflects a recent final ruling by an Italian court on a pedestrian traffic accident, which determined that pedestrians also bear partial fault and responsibility.

The items restricted from use include not only mobile phones, but also laptops, tablets, and digital cameras.

In addition to banning mobile phone use, the Italian government has also strengthened pedestrians' duty of care when crossing crosswalks.

It has been codified 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, pedestrians are mandated to first check whether the driver of an approaching vehicle has noticed them when crossing a crosswalk.

Regulations on mobile phone use by drivers have also been tightened; 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 measures 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 carelessness while crossing roads with mobile phones will decrease.

Restrictions on pedestrian mobile phone use have previously been implemented not only in Italy, but also in places such as Australia, Honolulu, and Lithuania.

Reported by Kwon Young-in | Produced by Lee Se-young | Video by Kim Yun-sung | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.