Patente Quiz B
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Lesson and quiz, category B licence

Stopping, parking and halting (Fermata, sosta e arresto)

On the exam this topic tests the difference between a halt, a stop and parking, how the vehicle must be placed, and where stopping and parking, or parking alone, are banned; this site has 21 true or false statements to practise on it.

The theory exam has 30 statements in 20 minutes and you pass with at most 3 mistakes. Source: Codice della Strada.

Skip to the quiz Study the rules

The real theory exam is in Italian, with French or German available on request. Lessons here keep the Italian terms in italics, and the quiz shows each statement in Italian with English help underneath. Switch to Italian only in the quiz to practise under exam conditions.

The rules

Question 1 of 1

Rule 1

Halt, stop, parking

A halt (arresto) is an interruption forced by traffic, such as a red light or a queue. A stop (fermata) is a brief pause to let people in or out or for a very short need, with the driver present and ready to move off. Parking (sosta) is a prolonged pause during which the driver may walk away.

Example

You stop at a red light: a halt. You pull in outside school to drop a child and stay at the wheel: a stop. You park and go into a shop: parking.

Legal reference: CdS art. 157, c. 1

Exam traps

  • «During a fermata the driver may walk away for as long as needed»: false, the driver stays with the vehicle.
  • A halt is not the driver's choice: it is caused by traffic or a signal.
  • In the definition of an emergency stop, ovvero means «or»: a breakdown or someone on board feeling unwell.

Rule 2

Where and how to leave the vehicle

The vehicle goes as close as possible to the right hand edge of the carriageway; on one way streets it may also go on the left, if there is still room for at least one line of traffic. Outside built up areas you park off the carriageway, but not on cycle paths and not on the verge (banchina) unless signs allow it, and parking on the carriageway of a priority road is banned. Keeping the engine running while parked to run the air conditioning is banned.

Example

In a wide one way street you may leave the car on the left hand side, as long as at least three metres remain for traffic to get by.

Legal reference: CdS art. 157, c. 2, 3, 4, 7-bis

Exam traps

  • «Parking on the left of a two way street»: false, the left side is only for one way streets.
  • «Engine running while parked for the air conditioning»: expressly banned by art. 157 c. 7-bis.
  • Carreggiata (carriageway) and banchina (verge) are different things: outside towns you park off the carriageway, and on the verge only where signs allow it.

Rule 3

Where stopping and parking are both banned

Stopping and parking are both banned, among other places: at level crossings and on rails; in tunnels and underpasses; on humps and bends, and outside built up areas also near them; in built up areas within 5 metres of the line of the crossing road's kerb; on zebra crossings and cycle crossings; on pavements (marciapiedi) unless signs say otherwise. These bans are set by law and apply with no sign.

Example

In town you find a space near a junction. The car must be at least 5 metres from the line of the side road's kerb, even with no sign.

Legal reference: CdS art. 158, c. 1

Parking near a junction in a built up area line of the side road's edge no stopping or parking 5 m allowed
At least 5 metres from the line of the nearest edge of the crossing road, even with no sign.

Exam traps

  • «On a zebra crossing if it lasts only a few minutes»: false, even a brief stop is banned there.
  • «On the pavement if half a metre is left»: false, the pavement is banned unless signs allow it.
  • «Soltanto (only) where a sign repeats them»: false, these bans are written into the Codice.

Rule 4

Where only parking is banned

Parking, but not a brief stop, is banned among other places: across driveways (passi carrabili); double parked (in doppia fila); within 15 metres of a bus stop sign; in bus lanes; in bays reserved for disabled people. A brief stop there is possible only if it does not obstruct traffic.

Example

You leave the car across a driveway to nip into a chemist. That is illegal parking, and the car can be towed even though the road is not blocked.

Legal reference: CdS art. 158, c. 2

No parking
No parking (Divieto di sosta)

Exam traps

  • Check whether the statement is about sosta (parking) or fermata (stopping): they are banned in different lists.
  • «Towing soltanto (only) when the road is completely blocked»: false.

Rule 5

Motorways, emergencies and parking discs

An emergency stop (sosta di emergenza) is a halt because the vehicle has broken down or someone on board is unwell. On motorways the hard shoulder and the emergency lay-bys are for that alone; to rest you use service and parking areas. In parking disc zones the arrival time must be displayed where it can be seen.

Example

On the motorway the engine temperature warning comes on. You move to an emergency lay-by or the hard shoulder and switch on the hazard lights.

Legal reference: CdS art. 157, c. 1; CdS art. 176

Exam traps

  • «In emergency lay-bys to rest»: false, tiredness is dealt with at service areas.
  • Parking disc not shown: the parking is irregular even if the time allowed has not run out.

Rule 6

What can go wrong

Three concrete examples help tell a stop from parking, and mark the places where both are banned. First: in the historic centre of Florence the driver leaves the car on the pavement, leaving a metre for pedestrians. Within minutes it is towed. The pavement is banned unless signs say otherwise, and the remaining width does not make the parking legal. Art. 158 of the Codice della Strada lists pavements among the places where both stopping and parking are banned. Second: on the A14 the driver pulls into an emergency lay-by to answer a message and stays five minutes. Highway police on patrol fine them. Lay-bys and the hard shoulder on a motorway are for the emergency stop set out in art. 176 alone: a breakdown or someone on board feeling unwell. Checking a phone is not on the list. Third: outside a bakery in Bari the driver leaves the car double parked for two minutes, hazard lights on, without getting out. An officer walks past and writes the ticket. Double parking is on the art. 158 c. 2 list of places where only parking is banned, and hazard lights do not turn parking into a legal operation. A brief stop is also unlawful if it obstructs traffic or if it happens in one of the places banned by law. The practical test is this. If the driver walks away, this is no longer a stop. If the vehicle sits in a place banned by art. 158 c. 1, such as a zebra crossing, a pavement, a hump or a tunnel, duration does not matter: stopping is banned just like parking. Double parked, across a driveway or within 15 metres of a bus stop sign, a brief stop is possible only if it does not obstruct traffic.

Legal reference: CdS art. 158; CdS art. 176

CdS: Codice della Strada (d.lgs. 285/1992). Reg.: its implementing regulation (d.P.R. 495/1992). c.: comma, the numbered paragraph of an article.

Full text of the Codice: www.aci.it/i-servizi/normative/codice-della-strada.html

Trap words

False statements on the exam often repeat a true rule and change a single word. These are the Italian words to read carefully in this topic. They stay in Italian because that is how they appear on the exam.

Words for this topic

in prossimità
near, approaching. Many bans apply «in prossimità e in corrispondenza», that is near the spot and on it.
Overtaking is banned in prossimità (near) a hump, not only on its crest.
dosso
hump, crest. A rise that hides the road beyond its top. Not to be confused with cunetta, a dip.
On and near a dosso (hump) overtaking, stopping and parking are all banned.
passo carrabile
vehicle access, driveway. Parking in front of it is banned, and a driver coming out of it gives way.
A driver leaving a passo carrabile (driveway) does not use the right hand rule: they stop and let traffic pass.
doppia fila
double parking. Leaving a vehicle alongside those already parked at the kerb; parking there is banned (art. 158(2)).
Leaving the car in doppia fila (double parked) to pop into a café is illegal parking.
marciapiede
pavement. The part of the road for pedestrians, outside the carriageway. Stopping and parking there are banned unless signs say otherwise.
«You may park on the marciapiede (pavement) if you leave half a metre»: false.
centro abitato
built up area. The zone between the town entry and exit signs; many rules differ inside and outside it.
Outside a centro abitato you park off the carriageway; inside it you pull in to the right hand edge.

Words that appear in every topic

sempre
always. An absolute: the statement is true only if there is no exception at all.
«Keeping to the limit sempre (always) guarantees a safe speed»: false, in fog or on ice you go slower.
solo, soltanto, esclusivamente
only. It rules out every other case, so a single exception makes the statement false.
«The children sign is placed soltanto (only) outside primary schools»: false, it also appears near parks and sports grounds.
mai, in nessun caso
never, in no case. The statement is true only if the behaviour is not allowed in any situation.
«A driver with priority may in nessun caso (never) give it up»: false, they may, as long as they make it clear.
ovvero
In the language of the Codice it means «or» and introduces an alternative. It does not mean «that is».
Emergency stop: the vehicle has broken down ovvero (or) the driver must stop because they feel unwell (art. 157). Two separate cases; either one is enough.
obbligatoriamente, è obbligatorio
compulsory. A duty: it is not enough for the behaviour to be allowed, it must be required.
«Overtaking on the left is obbligatorio (compulsory) even past a driver turning left»: false, in that case you pass on the right.
è consentito, è ammesso
allowed, permitted. A permission, not a duty. «È consentito» does not mean «è obbligatorio», and the reverse.
«It is consentito (allowed) to pass on the right a driver who has signalled a left turn»: true, and art. 148(7) actually requires it.
di norma, di regola
as a rule, normally. It states the general rule, which allows exceptions, so the statement does not claim to hold in every case.
«Outside built up areas warning signs are placed di norma (as a rule) 150 metres ahead»: true, and a panel gives any other distance.
anche
also, even. It stretches the rule to one more case; ask whether that added case really belongs.
«The no parking sign anche (also) bans stopping»: false, a brief stop is still allowed under a no parking sign.
automaticamente, di per sé
automatically, in itself. It suggests an effect that applies on its own, when the effect usually depends on a sign or a specific condition.
«In fog the motorway limit automaticamente (automatically) drops to 90 km/h»: false, the automatic cut applies to rain and snow.
qualsiasi, qualunque, in ogni caso
any, in every case. It generalises; look for the category or situation the rule leaves out.
«The safe distance is the same at qualunque (any) speed»: false, it grows with speed.
corsia
lane. The part of the carriageway wide enough for one line of vehicles (art. 3).
A two way carriageway (carreggiata) usually has two corsie (lanes), one for each direction.
carreggiata
carriageway. The part of the road for vehicles, made up of one or more lanes (art. 3). It does not include the verge or the pavement.
A speed limit applies to the whole carreggiata (carriageway), not only to the lane next to the sign.
banchina
verge, hard strip. The strip beside the carriageway and outside it, not meant for driving (art. 3).
Outside built up areas you park off the carriageway, for example on a suitable banchina (verge) (art. 157(3)).
fermata
stop. A brief halt to let people get in or out, with the driver present and ready to move off (art. 157).
Pulling in to drop off a passenger and leaving straight away is a fermata (stop), not a sosta (parking).
sosta
parking. A prolonged halt during which the driver may leave the vehicle (art. 157).
A divieto di sosta (no parking) does not ban stopping; a divieto di fermata (no stopping) bans parking too.
arresto
halt. An interruption caused by traffic, such as a red light or a queue. It is not the driver's choice (art. 157).
Stopping at a red light is an arresto (halt); no stopping ban prevents it.

Check yourself

Three statements on the topic. Answer and see straight away whether the rule has stuck. These answers are not saved.

Question 1 of 1

  1. Durante la fermata il conducente può allontanarsi dal veicolo per il tempo che ritiene necessario.

    During a stop the driver may walk away from the vehicle for as long as needed.

  2. È vietata la sosta a meno di cinque metri da un incrocio.

    Parking is forbidden within five metres of a junction.

  3. Nei centri abitati è consentita la sosta sul lato sinistro di una strada a doppio senso di circolazione.

    Inside built up areas parking on the left hand side of a two way street is allowed.

Topic quiz: 21 statements

Untimed. After each answer you see the solution, the explanation, the trap words highlighted and a link back to the rule. At the end you get your score and can retest just the ones you missed.

Question 1 of 1

  1. L'arresto è l'interruzione della marcia dovuta a esigenze della circolazione o a un segnale.

    A halt is an interruption of travel caused by traffic needs or by a signal.

  2. Durante la fermata il conducente può allontanarsi dal veicolo per il tempo che ritiene necessario.

    During a stop the driver may walk away from the vehicle for as long as needed.

  3. È vietata la sosta a meno di cinque metri da un incrocio.

    Parking is forbidden within five metres of a junction.

  4. La sosta su un marciapiede è consentita se il veicolo lascia libero almeno mezzo metro di passaggio.

    Parking on a pavement is allowed if half a metre of space is left for pedestrians.

  5. In autostrada la sosta sulla corsia di emergenza è consentita solo in caso di emergenza.

    On motorways stopping on the hard shoulder is allowed only in an emergency.

  6. È consentita la sosta davanti a un passo carrabile segnalato.

    Parking in front of a marked vehicle access is allowed.

  7. La sosta è vietata sulle corsie riservate ai mezzi pubblici.

    Parking is forbidden in lanes reserved for public transport.

  8. La sosta è la sospensione prolungata della marcia, durante la quale il conducente può anche allontanarsi dal veicolo.

    Parking is a prolonged suspension of travel during which the driver may also leave the vehicle.

  9. Fuori dei centri abitati il veicolo in sosta va collocato fuori della carreggiata, dove esiste una banchina idonea.

    Outside built up areas a parked vehicle must be placed off the carriageway where a suitable verge exists.

  10. È vietata la sosta negli spazi riservati alla fermata dei mezzi di trasporto pubblico.

    Parking is forbidden in the spaces reserved for public transport stops.

  11. Fuori dei centri abitati la sosta è vietata in curva e in prossimità dei dossi.

    Outside built up areas parking is forbidden on bends and near hill crests.

  12. Chi lascia il veicolo in sosta deve adottare le cautele necessarie a impedirne il movimento spontaneo.

    A driver leaving a vehicle parked must take the steps needed to stop it moving on its own.

  13. Nelle aree di sosta a disco orario va esposto in modo visibile l'orario di arrivo.

    In parking areas with a time disc the arrival time must be displayed where it can be seen.

  14. Nelle gallerie la fermata e la sosta sono vietate, salvo diversa segnalazione.

    In tunnels stopping and parking are forbidden, unless signs say otherwise.

  15. È consentito occupare due stalli di sosta quando il veicolo è particolarmente lungo.

    Taking up two parking bays is allowed when the vehicle is particularly long.

  16. La sosta sulle strisce pedonali è consentita se dura pochi minuti.

    Parking on a zebra crossing is allowed if it lasts only a few minutes.

  17. In autostrada è ammessa la sosta nelle piazzole di emergenza per riposare durante un viaggio lungo.

    On motorways parking in emergency lay-bys to rest during a long trip is permitted.

  18. È consentito lasciare il veicolo in sosta con il motore acceso per mantenere in funzione l'aria condizionata.

    It is allowed to leave a parked vehicle with the engine running to keep the air conditioning on.

  19. La rimozione del veicolo in sosta vietata è disposta soltanto quando la strada risulta completamente bloccata.

    A vehicle parked illegally is towed only when the road is completely blocked.

  20. I divieti di sosta previsti dal Codice della Strada valgono soltanto dove un segnale li ricorda.

    The parking bans set by the Codice della Strada apply only where a sign reminds drivers of them.

  21. Nei centri abitati è consentita la sosta sul lato sinistro di una strada a doppio senso di circolazione.

    Inside built up areas parking on the left hand side of a two way street is allowed.

What next

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Educational content. For the official rules, see the Codice della Strada and legal notes.