Update in the morning: Over 1,000 euros fine for an SMS

Source: ZDF

So Friday the 13th – again. There was only one in September, and if you're honest: especially here in Berlin, many a day in between felt like Friday the 13th. Especially, you hear, as a member of a traffic light party.

In Italy, on the other hand, today may be a particularly happy day. If things go well, it marks the end of a dark time. Because there are significantly more traffic deaths in Italy in relation to the population than in many other countries – around 50 percent more than in Germany – fines there are significantly increased.

Just send a WhatsApp while behind the wheel? Up to 1,400 euros plus three months of rags away. Well, it only becomes that expensive if it happens again, but even first-time offenders still have to pay 250 euros. There have already been many good reasons to keep your hands off your cell phone while driving – anyone who goes on holiday to Italy in the future now has even more.

The same applies to speeding. 10 km/h can be expensive in Germany. In Italy it will cost 173 euros in the future. Your friend, the cruise control.

The fact that you shouldn't get behind the wheel even after Chianti, Grappa or Limoncello is also not a new finding, but in Italy it is once again supported by one or another nun. Anyone who even slightly exceeds the blood alcohol limit of 0.5 – which applies in Germany – will face a fine of 2,200 euros and a six-month driving ban. From 1.5 per mille, half a year in prison is possible.

Traffic violations involving e-scooters will also be punished more severely in the future. Anyone who uses such a device to heat through the picturesque streets of Italian cities and is caught without a helmet, for example, will have to pay 50 euros.

Trust is good, they say, control is better. It remains to be seen whether the increased fines will serve their intended purpose. For an initial assessment, we can mark December 13, 2025 – a Saturday, by the way, completely unsuspicious.

I wish you a happy, unhappy Friday – and a safe journey!

Daniel Pontzen, correspondent in the ZDF capital studio

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Source: ZDF

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Source: ZDF

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Source: ZDF

Compiled by Anna Grösch