Nervousness behind the wheel can cost you dearly, especially on the motorway: here’s how much you risk if you don’t keep calm in difficult situations
The traffic on the highway it can be an indisputable source of stress so much that it leads us to be easily nervous towards others. The nervousness however it is dangerous and can lead us to unpredictable and sometimes violent reactions: be careful because the Highway Code also severely punishes behavior dictated by nervousness behind the wheel.
After all, it must have happened to everyone at least once to curse at someone when they are driving a car: a sudden braking, an incorrect maneuver or in any case something to make us snap the spring in our heads and thus cause fatal anger towards others.
Yelling at someone is of course a distraction which, if too intense, can lead us to make even serious mistakes behind the wheel. That must be why in recent times the law has tightened a lot against aggressive motorists, although it is no longer a criminal offense as it once was. A few years ago, in fact, insulting someone while driving even constituted an infringement of article 594 of the Penal Code. The reason? Offense to honor and decorum.
Insulting someone behind the wheel: what you risk and how much the fine is
Today, as mentioned, the law is very strict but no longer provides for the presence of a criminal offence. Despite this, the penalties are still very high and aim to prevent certain driving behaviors. Therefore, article 4 of Legislative Decree 7/2016 may provide for a compensation from 100 to 8000 euros if the victim of the insults decides to file a complaint.
The value of the compensation depends on the seriousness of the insults directed against the person who has made the most aggravating complaint of any kind.
But what happens if someone gets our insults because he has become the protagonist of a dangerous action, for example Suddenly changing lanes on the highway? In that case the law works in our favor by specifying that it is a justifiable outburst of anger. This means that the officer who witnesses the crime will be able to consider the situation and decide not to proceed with the penalty, understanding the situation in question.
Obviously, try not to take it out on the policemen, because insults and possible swearing directed at the police they risk being very expensive, easily expiring on the penalty. The Penal Code explains that in these cases the penalty provides for the imprisonment from six months to three years. For blasphemy, on the other hand, the fine is around 200 euros, with a double penalty if it is directed at a public official.
In short, sometimes we would like to get out of the car and take justice into our own hands for the incivility of some motorists: trying to keep calm, however, is still the best solution.
