Steve James

N.B. For the attention of anyone planning to drive in Italy.<BR><BR>A new Road Traffic Law has recently been passed in Italy and is now being enforced:<BR><BR>- ALL VEHICLES using MOTORWAYS and dual-carriageways DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS must now keep HEADLIGHTS ON (i.e dipped headlights) at all times -<BR><BR>(This applies to all roads with a central reservation, i.e. autosrade & dual carriageways).<BR><BR>Steve<BR><BR><BR><BR>

Cristina

Thanks for mentioning this. I wrote the driving section over at Slowtravelers.com that goes over the new rules (a big one is that alcohol level was dropped from 0.8 to 0.5) as well as all of the current signs and other rules.

Chris

Is this true?

Sia

Very true- both headlights on autostrada (make sure you turn them off when you get off though) and blood alcohol levels are down to .05<BR><BR>Sia

ewis

what about at night?

Denise

Yes, BAT is .05 but police presence is not every where...seems like BAT is most likely used if it is a matter of an accident. Just my opinion. <BR><BR>Lights are mandatory only on the autostrada (at least that's my understanding...of course I am lazy and have a car that you can leave the lights on at all time and they will turn off when you cut it off). <BR><BR>The third new rule that I haven't seen mentioned in this post is that all motorcycles must have lights on at all times on all roads.<BR><BR>ciao

Alice Twain

Denise.<BR><BR>Police is not everywhere, but they usually carefully check the clubs and check alchool level everytie you get stopped because you were driving too fast or something like that. Do not get confused by the fact that Italians are though of as "bad" drivers: police do check us!<BR>Also, lights ar not only mandatory on autostrada but on any road with two separate carriageways. For instance the Superstrada Firenze-Siena is not an autostrada, but you will still be required to turn on the lights. Everytime you see a road with two carriageways and a guard rail or something like that in between you have to turn on the lights, autostrada or not. Also, bike were already required to turn on the lights on every road, except in the cities.<BR>Finally, the speed limit on Autostrada has also changed, it has become 150 kmh (it used to be 110-130).

Denise

Alice<BR>Thanks for your wisdom (as always). I'm super anal about drinking and driving. Thanks also about the clarification about the law including autostrada and other divided highways

michelle

don't forget it's illegal to talk on your cell phone while driving use a hands free device.

Denise

yep, bought one of those too

safety

It's a good idea to drive with your lights on at all times, not just in Italy. I applaud this move toward enhancing one's chances on the roads of Italy!!!

Alice Twain

safety:<BR><BR>It is not a good idea to drive with the lights on all the time, or at lest it isnot a good idea to do it everywhere. As a matter of facts, driving with the lights on in a summer day in italy is a very stupid idea for the simplest reason that the sunlight is strong enough to make the dim light from the car impossible to be seen. While having the lights on at dusk makes sense, turning them on at noon in a sunny day is just... Silly!

sid

I think that keeping lights on during the day is not stupid nor silly at all... on the contrary i think that this will save many more lives on the roads. There is the same regulation in Slovenia (and the law has been passed a while ago already) and on top of that they must also put on their warning lights for reversing. <BR>I rekon every country should pass on the law for headlights during the day.<BR>

Alice Twain

Sid:<BR><BR>This law was not aimed at saving lives, otherways the speed limits woudl have staied the same. The point in having the lights on is to make the car easier to see, but how can it be easier to see the car if the sunlight is far brighetr than the cars' lights? I have been travelling in Italy by car (although not driven) after the law has been enforced, and I have seen it is bullshit, and the drivers as well thought it to be complete bullshit. Drivers already used tuo turn on the lights when it made sense (dusk, foggy or overcast days), but turning hthem on means only to use a little more gas for nothing.