Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is one of the main issues in road safety regardless of the country. In France, for example, alcohol while driving is the second leading factor in road deaths behind excessive speed. Combined with driving under drugs, it comes first, according to the road accident report drawn up by the National Interministerial Road Safety Observatory (ONISR). And in mentalities, according to the Statista organization, it is also the first factor which worries French motorists. Faced with this situation, our Italian neighbor wants to take drastic measures in its highway code.
Tougher penalties in Italian traffic law for drunk driving
To put an end to drunk driving, Italy has decided to take matters into its own hands. If the law is definitively adopted, drivers caught in the act will, after the offense, be given a code 68 on their driving license. After having suffered the consequences of his actions (a maximum fine of 3,200 euros accompanied by a driving ban of up to three years), with this new code, he will be punished even more in the event of a repeat offense. The maximum fine will thus increase from 3,200 to almost 4,300 euros.
If the driver is a minor (accompanied driving), he will also be prohibited from taking the driving license test. And this until he reached the age of 24. Likewise, if your license displays code 68, it will be 0 tolerance for alcohol. You will no longer be allowed a single drop while driving, even if the blood alcohol threshold is normally 0.5 g per liter of blood. Finally, more fanciful, the Italian government wants to require motorists already convicted to install an alcohol test to start their vehicle. Installation costs will, of course, be the responsibility of the driver.
And in France then?
As for our dear blue, white and red country, such provisions would be difficult to put in place, in particular the breathalyzer to start your car. Moreover, these measures are already criticized in Italy.
As a reminder, on the roads of Franceyou can drive with an alcohol level of less than 0.25 mg per liter of exhaled air or less than 0.5 g per liter of blood. Each typical dose of different alcohol raises the level by 0.20 to 0.25 g on average per liter of blood. Clearly, after two glasses, it’s already too much. And nothing can bring this rate down, except time. Blood alcohol levels drop on average by 0.10 to 0.15 g of alcohol per liter of blood in one hour. For probationary licenses and young licenses, the rate fell to 0.2 g per liter of blood.
In the event of drunk driving, you risk a 4th class fine (135 euros), a withdrawal of six points from your driving license as well as a suspension of your license for a maximum period of three years. If the level is higher than 0.8 g per liter of blood, the penalties increase. The fine can increase to €4,500 and you also risk 2 years in prison.
Source: www.autoplus.fr
