Driving licenses will be withdrawn for those who use a cell phone, are drunk, are drugged, and for those who abandon animals on the street. And again, a crackdown on scooters with mandatory license plates, helmets, and insurance. The engine size of cars that new drivers can drive will increase, but the limit will last three years.

The bill that reforms the Highway Code is about to become law. Approved by the Chamber of Deputies, it will arrive in the Senate on Tuesday without changes and could be definitively approved this week. The new rules increase fines and make it easier to suspend the license for those who drive with a cell phone in their hand or under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

CELL PHONES AT THE WHEEL

The fine for driving with a smartphone will range from a minimum of 250 euros to a maximum of 1,000. An automatic one-week suspension is also introduced if you are caught with your phone at the wheel and you have at least 10 points on your license. If the points are lower, the suspension is 15 days. In the event of a repeat offense, the fine increases to 1,400 euros, the suspension of your license can reach three months and a deduction of 8 to 10 points is added. The suspension times then double if the use of your phone causes an accident or sends another vehicle off the road.

DRINK DRIVING

Zero tolerance: if the blood alcohol level is between 0.5 and 0.8 grams per litre, you will receive a fine of between 573 and 2,170 euros, with a suspension of your driving licence from 3 to 6 months. If the blood alcohol level is between 0.8 and 1.5 grams per litre, you will be punished with a double penalty, imprisonment and a fine (arrest for up to 6 months and a fine from 800 to 3,200 euros). Suspension of your driving licence from 6 months to one year. If the blood alcohol level is higher than 1.5 grams per litre, the violation is punished with a custodial and fine (arrest for 6 months and one year and a fine from 1,500 to 6,000 euros) and suspension of your driving licence from one to two years. What can you drink in practice? It depends on your weight, height and whether you have a full stomach: generally you are safe with a glass of wine or a can of beer or a shot of spirits. For new drivers, the rules already in force provide for a zero alcohol level for three years. All cases of drunk driving lead to the deduction of 10 points from the license. Among the sanctions there is also the obligation to install an alcohol lock on the car, a device that prevents the engine from starting if a blood alcohol level higher than zero is detected.