Italy is introducing new highway code rules that will fine pedestrians for looking at phones or other electronic devices while crossing the road. The change, expected to be approved by mid-October, follows several court rulings that found distracted pedestrians partly responsible for road accidents, and forms part of a wider package of updates aimed at improving road safety.

Under the draft rules, careless crossers could be fined up to £64 (€75) for using phones, tablets, laptops or digital cameras while crossing, though hands-free calls and headphones remain permitted if worn at a safe volume, and emergency use is exempt. Pedestrians must also confirm a driver has seen them before crossing and avoid taking too long to reach the other side, though those simply walking on pavements are unaffected. The reforms also toughen penalties for drivers caught using phones, with repeat offenders facing fines of up to £2,200 (€2,588) and licence suspensions of one to three months, while a proposed motorway driving ban for over-85s was dropped after public backlash. Italy joins Lithuania, which introduced a similar pedestrian rule in 2018, with Honolulu believed to be the first city worldwide to impose such a fine in 2017.