The amendments to the Road Code, approved at the June 18 session of the Assembly and published in the Official Gazette on July 22, entered into force the day before.
The toughened measures severely punish repeat drunk drivers and have their licenses revoked forever.
Specifically, if you are drunk, have been previously fined by the police for this violation of the Highway Code, and drive again with more than 0.5 g/liter in your blood, your license will be revoked permanently, with no possibility of retaking it at a driving school.
The changes also affect young drivers. If you are an adult without a license and are caught by the police driving a vehicle, in addition to the fine, you will not be able to get one for 1 year, so you do not have the right to go to driving school to become a driver. The measure is more severe if you are a minor and are caught behind the wheel. When you are 18 years old, you will not be able to get a license like your peers. At least 2 more years must pass before you can attend driving school.
This category of drivers, in the first 2 years of having a license, must not put a single drop of alcohol on their lips while behind the wheel, the speed on the highway must be a maximum of 90 km/h and 80 km/h on other roads outside residential areas. If they are not respected, the fine is from 5 thousand to 15 thousand lekë, in addition to the suspension of the license for 1 month and the removal of points. If during this 2-year phase the driver commits 2 violations within 1 year, the speed or traffic restrictions are extended by 1 year, bringing it to 3.
The fine for speeding in residential areas and for drivers with aggressive maneuvers is increasing.
If until now the fine was 10 to 40 thousand lek, it will go from 20 to 60 thousand lek. If a driver is caught twice in a year with a cell phone in his hand at the wheel, his license will be suspended for 3 months.
Until now, the Highway Code had this violation 3 times. Cell phones are prohibited from being used not only by car drivers, but also by drivers of bicycles, motorcycles up to 50 cubic meters, and skateboards.
An important change is also made to the suspension of the driving license. If until now, the suspension could be converted by paying double the amount of the fine by the fined party, both by foreigners and Albanians, now for the licenses issued by our authorities, this does not exist. The suspension of the license is done automatically.