It is being prepared for entry into force insurance obligation for all vehicles regardless of whether they are in service or not. Until now, the obligation only applied to vehicles moving on the road or those standing on public roads, even if immobile, for example, due to a breakdown. From December 23, everyone who owns cars or motorbikes regularly registered in the Public Car Registry, even if they have been parked in a private space for years, will have to activate the insurance.
Indeed, Italy has implemented a European directive of the Parliament and the European Council introduced in 2021. The legislative decree was published in the Official Journal a few days ago.
To decide on this important change, the European Parliament which, as mentioned at the beginning, approved the modification Directive 2009/103 on the rules of civil liability.
An active policy will therefore be essential for cars and motorbikes that sit unused in a home garage. For Europe, the vehicle doesn’t have to be parked in a private area. Importantly, however, it is “used in a manner corresponding to its transport function”.
If so they can drive cars or motorbikes, insurance must always be paid. However, there are some exceptions. Rescued are vehicles that are not suitable for use as a means of transport (e.g. missing essential parts such as the engine or wheels) and vehicles withdrawn from circulation because they are destined for scrapping or are under administrative detention, confiscation, or seizure. In the text of the law, you can read: Deviating from the provisions of Article 122, Paragraph 1 of this Law and Article 193 of the Law on Road Traffic referred to in the Legislative Decree of April 30, 1992, n. 285, vehicles formally withdrawn from service, as well as vehicles whose use is temporarily or permanently prohibited based on a measure taken by the competent authority by applicable legal regulations, they are not subject to the obligation of insurance.
The exception referred to in paragraph 1 also applies if the vehicle is not suitable for use as a means of transport, as well as if its use has been voluntarily suspended at the request of the entities listed in § 122 paragraph 3 as a result of a formal notification to the insurance company made under Article 47 Decree of the President of the Republic of December 28, 2000, No. 445
However, the possibility remains to suspend insurance in case of seasonal use of the vehicle (max. 10 months in the insurance year, 11 months for vintage vehicles), an option often used especially by motorcyclists in the winter season, when their two-wheeler is parked in the garage. The period of suspension that the authorized party originally communicated can be extended several times after formal notification to the insurance company within ten days before the expiration of the current period of suspension and cannot last more than ten months compared to the annual period.
Because of this, this news has generated a lot of discussion in the past it will have concrete costs for people. With the entry into force of this legislation, it will be interesting to understand how insurance companies will behave and whether they will start offering specific policies.
