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PhrasesCar AccidentSiamo sulla Statale Sette, al chilometro quarantadue.
B1

Siamo sulla Statale Sette, al chilometro quarantadue.

We are on State Road 7, at kilometre 42.

Pronunciation

'Chilometro' = kee-LOH-meh-troh. 'Statale' = sta-TA-leh. Road names use capital letters.

When to use it

Use on rural or highway roads where there is no street address. Italian roads have kilometre markers (paletti chilometrici) — give the nearest one to help rescue services locate you.

What it means

Italian roads use a numbering system: Autostrade (A) are motorways, Strade Statali (SS) are national roads, Strade Provinciali (SP) are regional roads, Strade Comunali are local. On autostrade, look for the green kilometre sign on the right. Precise location saves crucial minutes in a medical emergency.

Variations

Siamo sull'autostrada A1, direzione Roma, chilometro 587.

We are on motorway A1, direction Rome, kilometre 587.

Use 'autostrada' for motorways and add the direction.

Siamo all'uscita del casello di Firenze Sud.

We are at the exit of the Florence South toll booth.

Toll booths are unmissable landmarks on Italian motorways.

Siamo vicino al cartello 'Pescara 45 km'.

We are near the sign 'Pescara 45 km'.

Distance signs are visible from far away — useful when km markers are not visible.

Mini Dialogue

— Dove si trova esattamente? — Siamo sulla Statale Sette, al chilometro quarantadue, direzione Latina. — C'è un punto di riferimento vicino? — Sì, c'è un distributore di benzina ENI a circa duecento metri. — Perfetto. I soccorsi arriveranno entro dieci minuti.

— Where exactly are you? — We are on State Road 7, at kilometre 42, direction Latina. — Is there a reference point nearby? — Yes, there's an ENI petrol station about 200 metres away. — Perfect. Help will arrive within ten minutes.

Cultural Note

On Italian motorways, orange emergency phones are installed every two kilometres. These connect directly to the Autostrada emergency centre and automatically transmit your location — use them if your mobile battery is low.