First weekend of alcohol restrictions: the requirement for repeat offenders is officially in effect. How it works

ROME – With the start of the summer exodus comes the introduction of the alcohol interlock, a device that prevents the engine from starting if the driver's blood alcohol level exceeds 0.8 g/l. This device must be installed on vehicles used by drivers convicted of drunk driving. The rule, inserted in the new Highway Code in December, officially came into force after the publication in the Official Journal of the implementing decree by the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, which contains the characteristics and installation instructions for the alcohol interlock.

The device, which must be calibrated annually and must have a seal to prevent alteration or tampering after installation, functions like a real breathalyzer. Before driving, the driver must blow into the breathalyzer, which will prevent the engine from starting if their blood alcohol level is above zero. The obligation to install a breathalyzer applies to drivers who have been definitively convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol and whose driving license, after the suspension period, is issued by the prefect, with specific codes that require the device to be installed for two or three years, depending on whether the driver is driving under the influence of alcohol. the conviction concerns the determination of a blood alcohol level of 0.8 g/l to 1.5 g/l or higher than 1.5 g/l.

Those who attempt to bypass the alcohol interlock by having others blow the door and then get back to driving, or who tamper with the seals, face heavy fines of up to 600 euros and additional penalties on their driving license.

The list of authorized installers and vehicle models on which each alcohol interlock device can be installed will be published on the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport website.

The Italian Association of Damage Appraisers (AIPED) estimates that the cost of installing alcohol interlocks on cars will be "approximately €2,000 per vehicle, to which must be added the costs of periodic calibration required by the decree, maintenance, and the cost of disposable mouthpieces." Furthermore, AIPE warns of the risk of potential legal action by motorists affected by the new device. Specifically, it emphasizes that while the driver is required to "verify that the calibration certificate has the valid calibration interval," it does not specify who is responsible for verifying the correct calibration. Furthermore, what happens if the seal is damaged by accident or in a traffic accident? Who guarantees, AIPE asks, that a damaged seal does not automatically lead to a charge of tampering? Then there is the "paradox of those families who have only one car: if an alcohol interlock is installed, all the other members of the household, in order to start the car, will also have to have a blood alcohol level of zero."