Emergency numbers when driving in Italy

Updated 2026-09-16

Data as of 2026-09-16. Source: Prefettura di Isernia, NUE 112 activation; ACI breakdown service.

112 Copy

European emergency number

All emergencies

In regions with a single response centre it also receives calls to 113, 115 and 118 and routes them to the right service.

113 Copy

State Police

Public assistance

Still active everywhere. Where NUE 112 runs, the call passes through the single centre first.

115 Copy

Fire Brigade

Fire and technical rescue

Vehicle on fire, people trapped in wreckage, fuel or hazardous load spills.

118 Copy

Medical emergency

Ambulance and air rescue

Injuries or sudden illness. Where NUE 112 runs, the call passes through the single centre first.

803 116 Copy

ACI breakdown service

Breakdowns and towing

Free call from Italian networks, 24 hours. For breakdowns, not for injuries.

Which number should you call on the road?

When in doubt, 112. The other numbers are for clear-cut situations, and in NUE regions they reach the same centre anyway. The ACI number is not an emergency line: it is for a broken-down car with nobody in danger.

Which Italian regions have NUE 112?

112 answers throughout Italy, but the set-up varies by region. Where the NUE 112 model is active, calls to 112, 113, 115 and 118 reach a single response centre (Centrale unica di risposta): an operator locates the caller, identifies the emergency and transfers the call to the Police, Carabinieri, Fire Brigade or medical services. Molise, for example, opened its Isernia centre on 3 March 2026, according to the Prefettura di Isernia.

Where NUE is not yet running, each number goes straight to its own service. In September 2026 regional announcements indicate that Veneto and Campania are still completing activation. The picture changes over time, so the local Prefettura website is the place to check for a given province. For drivers, nothing changes in practice: 112 works either way.

What should you tell the operator?

1. Where: road, kilometre, direction of travel, a visible landmark (exit, tunnel, fuel station). On motorways the kilometre marker is the most useful detail.
2. What: rear-end collision, car off the road, fire, illness, wrong-way vehicle.
3. How many: people involved and how many need help.
4. Their condition: conscious or not, breathing, children present, anyone trapped.
5. Hazards: smoke, flames, leaking fluids, vehicles in the carriageway.
6. Stay on the line until the operator ends the call, and keep the phone free for a call back.

How do you make a stopped car safe?

1. Pull over as far right as possible, onto the emergency lane or off the carriageway, and switch on the hazard lights.
2. Put on the reflective vest before getting out: art. 162 requires it when leaving a vehicle stopped on the carriageway in the cases set by the law, and also on emergency lanes and lay-bys. Fine: 42 to 173 euro.
3. Place the warning triangle at least 50 metres behind the vehicle, visible from 100 metres to approaching drivers (art. 357 of the implementing Regulation).
4. Get passengers out on the side away from traffic and wait behind the crash barrier, away from the carriageway.
5. Call the right number. On motorways, SOS call points linked to the operator's control room can be used where present.

Can you use a phone while driving to call for help?

Only hands-free, with a speaker or earpiece, as for any call. Art. 173 punishes holding a phone while driving with a fine of 250 to 1,000 euro and a licence suspension of 15 days to 2 months; a repeat offence within two years costs 350 to 1,400 euro plus a licence suspension of one to three months. The safest choice is still to stop in a protected spot and then call.

Art. 173 amounts in force in September 2026, subject to periodic updates. Legal notes.

What happens if...? Three worked cases

A driver from Varese sees a rear-end crash on the ring road, with one person not responding. She calls 112: in Lombardy the single response centre answers, keeps her on the line and transfers the call to medical services. She gives the kilometre and direction and waits in a protected spot. If she had been involved in the crash and driven off without helping the injured person, she would face one to three years' imprisonment and a licence suspension of eighteen months to five years (article 189, paragraph 7, of the Codice della Strada).

A lorry driver from Verona sees smoke coming from a van stopped on a provincial road. He calls 115, and the Fire Brigade answers directly, because in Veneto the single centre is not yet running. Calling 112 would also have worked: the call would have been passed to the Fire Brigade. If he made the call while still driving with the phone in his hand, he would face 250 to 1,000 euro and a licence suspension of 15 days to 2 months (article 173, paragraph 3-bis, of the Codice della Strada).

A family from Lecce gets a flat tyre on a state road at night, with no injuries. They switch on the hazard lights, put on the vest, place the triangle at least 50 metres back and call 803 116. 112 is not needed, because nobody is in danger. If the driver got out on the state road without the reflective vest, the fine would be 42 to 173 euro (article 162, paragraphs 4-ter and 5, of the Codice della Strada).

What mistakes should you avoid in an emergency?

• Staying in the car on the carriageway after a motorway breakdown: behind the barrier is safer.
• Getting out without the vest, especially at night or in poor visibility.
• Placing the triangle too close: at least 50 metres.
• Hanging up too early: the operator may need more details.
• Calling ACI for an injured person: for people, call 112 or 118.

What are the common questions about emergency numbers?

Sources: Prefettura di Isernia; AREU Lombardia; Codice della Strada, articles 162, 173 and 189; Implementing Regulation of the Codice della Strada, article 357 (triangle position); ACI.