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Italian man lost driving licence for being gay

An Italian man who lost his driving licence after being told he was not mentally fit to drive due to being gay has won a 15-year legal battle against two Italian ministries.

Published: 23 January 2015 14:47 CET

Italian man lost driving licence for being gay

The Italian man had his driving licence suspended after being deemed "troubled by his sexual identity". Driving licence: Shutterstock

Sicilian Danilo Giuffrida, 34, informed doctors of his sexuality during a medical visit tied to his military service.

Months later he was asked to return for another medical to see if he was mentally and physically fit to drive. Giuffrida was deemed “troubled by his sexual identity”, which was said to be reason enough to suspend his driving licence, Rai News reported on Friday.

The case was dragged through three courts until Italy’s highest court ruled that Giuffrida’s privacy had been violated by the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, which were also found guilty of discriminating against him.

Patente sospesa al giovane gay Cassazione: deve avere molti più soldi http://t.co/9IRFO3F2rJ

— daniele manca (@Daniele_Manca) January 23, 2015

Due to the “gravity of the offense”, the Court of Cassation ordered the ministries to pay Giuffrida compensation for the “homophobic behaviour”. The exact sum is yet to be determined although could reach €100,000, Italian media reported.

The news was greeted as “a victory for justice” by Giuffrida. “It’s not my personal victory, but one for the whole community. It could have happened to anyone,” he was quoted as saying.

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EXPLAINED: What's in the Italian driving licence theory test?

There are all sorts of reasons why people who’ve relocated to Italy may want or need to get an Italian driving licence, not least because of the potential lack of a reciprocal agreement (a deal allowing foreign nationals to exchange their licence with an Italian one) between Italy and their country of origin.

READ ALSO: Explained: Who needs to exchange their driving licence for an Italian one?

While the Italian Highway Code states that non-EU nationals can freely drive in Italy on a foreign licence for up to one year from the moment they become Italian residents, drivers will be required to get an Italian licence at the end of that grace period.

Unfortunately though, taking the Italian driving test isn’t exactly a piece of cake. That’s largely because the theory exam, which candidates must pass in order to progress to the practical test, requires quite a bit of technical knowledge and cannot be taken in English.

So, for those who are considering getting an Italian licence, here’s what the theory test is about.

For starters, once they have put in a request to take the theory exam, candidates have six months and a total of two attempts to pass it.

Foreign nationals are generally advised to take the test through a driving school (autoscuola) as they will not only help you with all the paperwork but will also provide you with training for taking the exam.

READ ALSO: Why is it taking so long to book a driving test in Italy?

You can also choose to take the test privately, which means dealing with the local licensing office (Ufficio di Motorizzazione Civile, which is roughly equivalent to the UK’s DVLA or the US DMV) directly and booking the exam yourself.

Regardless of which path you choose to go down, the structure and procedures of the test are the same for all candidates.

The theory exam consists of 30 questions of the true or false type and each candidate is given 20 minutes (that’s a little over half a minute for each question) to answer them.

The Italian theory test consists of 30 questions ranging from road signage to civil liability. Photo by Miguel MEDINA / AFP

Only three mistakes are allowed, with any number of errors equal to or above four resulting in a failed attempt.

The questions presented to candidates are randomly selected, which means that some sections of the Italian Driver’s Manual (Manuale di Teoria) might not figure in the test at all.

That said, you should know that the exam questions generally refer to the following macro-subjects:

Road signage
Driver’s duties
Speed limits and restrictions to circulation
Safe following distance
General rules on vehicles’ circulation
Right of way
Braking, stopping and pulling over
Rules on overtaking
Use of indicator lights and horns
Personal safety equipment
Driving licences, circulation documents and penalty system
Road accidents and proper response
Driving under the influence and first aid
Rules on civil liability and insurance
Pollution and respecting the environment
Basic knowledge of car parts and vehicle maintenance

So, what actually happens on the day of the exam?

Barring some rare exceptions, the theory exam will take place at your local licensing office.

Prior to the test, examiners will ask you to produce a valid identity document and the copy of a medical certificate testifying to good mental and physical health. After these formalities, you’ll be asked to take a seat at your designated station.

Please note that you won’t be allowed to take any electronic device nor any notepad to your station.

Candidates only have two shots at passing the Italian theory test. Photo by Miguel MEDINA / AFP

Once at your station, you’ll find a pc with a touch screen, which is where you’ll be taking the exam.

By law, all candidates are shown a brief video tutorial prior to the test. After that, it’s game on.

Candidates cannot ask their examiners any question during the course of the exam – this includes questions about words or expressions that one might not know.

It’ll be possible for you to move freely from one question to the other (i.e. you don’t have to answer a question to progress to the next one) and change your answers. That said, you’d best keep an eye on the remaining time (this is usually shown in the bottom-right corner of the web page).

READ ALSO: Some of the best learner sites for taking your Italian driving test

Once you have reviewed all of your answers and submitted the test, you will be automatically logged out of the exam page.

What happens after I take the test?

Results will be made available online the day following the exam.

If you pass, you’ll get the ‘pink slip’ (or foglio rosa) and you’ll have 12 months and a total of three attempts to take the practical test.

If you fail, you’ll have to wait a month before you can have another go. Should you fail your second attempt, you’ll have to re-enrol and submit a new request to take the theory exam (this means paying all the relevant fees again).

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