Drivers in Italy could soon face a fine for travelling at less than 100 km/h in the far left motorway lane. The Italian Council of Ministers approved, on 13 October 2026 at first reading, a draft legislative decree that sets a concrete minimum speed for the overtaking lane. According to Brocardi , the provision is to be inserted as Article 50 into the new Codice della Strada , supplementing the existing lane-selection rules in Article 143 with a specific numerical value.
What the draft proposes
The planned rule is narrowly drawn: it applies exclusively to the left-hand lane, that is, the lane immediately adjacent to the central reservation. Drivers using that lane must maintain a minimum speed of 100 km/h. The scope covers motorways and motorway-equivalent trunk roads with at least three lanes in each direction on which parallel driving is permitted. The rule does not apply to two-lane motorways or to the right-hand lanes, where the obligation to keep right remains without a fixed minimum speed. The requirement is also set to apply to through roads with a corresponding lane arrangement.
Status: first reading only
The draft is not yet in force. The Council of Ministers approved the text under the prima lettura procedure, which amounts to a preliminary adoption. Parliamentary scrutiny follows, with possible amendments to the wording, the level of fines and the scope of application. Until the final adoption and publication in the Gazzetta Ufficiale, existing law continues to apply, meaning the new minimum speed cannot yet be enforced. According to Autoblog , the specific level of the fine may still change during the parliamentary process.
Penalties and exceptions
The proposed penalty stands at 40 euros. It would be established as an administrative fine rather than a criminal offence. Crucially, the draft itself provides for exceptions: drivers may travel below 100 km/h when compelled to slow down by heavy rain, dense fog, roadworks or an accident. Temporary or permanent signage indicating different values also takes precedence over the fixed numerical threshold. The general obligation to adjust speed to road conditions, traffic and visibility remains unchanged. In practice, this means that briefly slowing down in specific traffic situations continues to be permitted, whereas persistently blocking the overtaking lane at low speed may attract a concrete fine.
What the current rules say
Italy already has rules against obstructively slow driving, though without a specific numerical threshold. According to Sicurauto , Article 141 , paragraph 1 of the Codice della Strada requires every driver to regulate their speed so as to cause neither danger nor disruption to traffic. Article 142, paragraph 2 permits road operators to set signposted minimum and maximum speeds. In addition, under the implementing regulations, vehicles must be capable of reaching at least 80 km/h on a level road in order to be permitted on motorways at all.
The penalties for excessively slow driving that obstructs or endangers traffic already stand at 42 to 173 euros, doubled for lorries and buses over eight tonnes, with an additional one-third surcharge for infringements between 22:00 and 07:00. Payment within five days entitles the driver to a thirty per cent reduction. The new provision adds to this framework a clearly quantifiable offence that can be applied without any discretion on the part of the officer, and extends the established driving culture on Italian motorways with a fixed threshold.
The rationale: a freer-flowing overtaking lane
The Italian government justifies the rule on two grounds. First, it aims to improve traffic flow in the overtaking lane , where slow-moving drivers cause tailbacks and abrupt lane changes. Second, it seeks to reduce rear-end collisions caused by stop-and-go traffic. The fixed numerical value is intended to provide legal clarity for both police and drivers, where previously only the general behavioural norm of Article 141 applied. Amendments to the text remain possible during the parliamentary process, including on the central question of which sections of the Autostrade the new obligation will cover.
Practical implications on the Autostrada
Until the decree is adopted, nothing changes in the current legal position . Those travelling on Italian motorways should continue to follow the general behavioural norm and posted signage. The general speed limit is 130 km/h on a dry road surface, 110 km/h in rain; lower posted limits apply in roadworks zones and on certain stretches. Speed camera enforcement on the Autostrada has been subject to stricter authorisation requirements since 2026, in accordance with the current decree . Should the new rule come into force, driving behaviour on three-lane motorways is likely to change noticeably, particularly for motorhomes and towing combinations that are often unable to sustain 100 km/h continuously.
