Italy Highway Code: New rules for engine use and parking

Proposed updates to the Italian Highway Code (Codice della Strada) include new exemptions regarding engine use and parking methods.

Under a provision requested by Minister Matteo Salvini, drivers may be permitted to keep thermal engines running with air conditioning active while parked if vulnerable individuals are on board. This category includes children, pregnant women, the elderly, and persons with disabilities who require specific health or safety conditions during their stay in the vehicle.

The draft also addresses the practice of perpendicular parking. While current laws require vehicles to be parked parallel to the curb, the new text proposes an exception for particularly short vehicles, such as microcars or electric quadricycles, which are often parked sideways in urban areas. These changes are currently undergoing consultation with industry operators and associations.