Last week a spokesperson for Swiss Rail told Swiss broadcaster SFR that the rail company was discussing reintroducing long distance overnight sleeper trains. 15 years ago, Switzerland had an extensive overnight train network with destinations including Rome, Barcelona, Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Vienna, Budapest, Prague, Graz Zagreb and Moscow. Progressively nearly all of these […]
Swiss discuss banning young drivers from roads at night
Nights, particularly weekend nights, are when most accidents involving young drivers occur. Between 2013 and 2017, 2,267 young adults between 18 and 24 were seriously injured on Swiss roads and an average of 32 were killed annually, around 14% of Switzerland’s total road deaths. Because driving reflexes are less internalized among inexperienced drivers, distractions, such […]
“CH” stickers might disappear from Swiss cars
The “CH” sticker that Swiss drivers must legally put on their vehicles before entering another country might disappear, according to the newspaper 20 Minutes. The sticker, a distinguishing sign of the state in which the car is registered, must be attached to rear of any vehicle driven in a foreign country1. It is required under […]
Geneva Motor Show 2019 – the list of absent car makers
Car technology is transforming. So is the way people find out about new cars. Buyers are increasingly preferring the internet to find out about new models. In addition, presenting at car shows is expensive. Jaguar Land Rover, the maker of the Jaguar I-Pace, 2019’s Car of the Year, seems to have recognised these shifts and […]
Government looks at anti-sound radars in Geneva
A parliamentary commission in Geneva is considering developing a radar to measure vehicle noise. The motion, put forward by the Greens and supported by others, is aimed at the noisiest road users. 13 out of 15 political parties are in favour of the plan. Only the Swiss People’s Party (UDC/SVP) was against it. The party […]
Federal council calls for more six-lane motorways in Switzerland
Currently, only 100 km (6.8%) of Switzerland’s national motorway network has six lanes – typically three in each direction. 1,311 km (90%) of the network has four lanes, with a remaining 47 km (3.2%) consisting of five lanes. According to NZZ am Sonntag, and reported in 20 Minutes, the Federal Council wants to expand the […]
37% drive after drinking too much alcohol, according to Swiss survey
In Switzerland, 37% drive after drinking too much during the festive season, according to a survey by Comparis. Most people will exceed Switzerland’s maximum blood alcohol level of 50 milligrammes of alcohol in every 100 millilitres of blood (0.25 mg/litre of breath) after drinking 500 ml of regular beer or 250 ml of wine. For […]
Geneva to experiment with 30km/h speed limits on main roads at night
Some main roads in Geneva will have their speed limits reduced from 50 km/h to 30km/h at night, according to 20 Minutes. The start date has not been set but the streets have been chosen. During the night the speed limit will fall to 30km/h on rue de Lausanne on the stretch between the train […]
Swiss driving age to drop to 17
Recently, The Federal Council, Switzerland’s executive, decided to reduce Switzerland’s minimum driving age to 17. Currently, residents of Switzerland need to be 18 before they can obtain a learner’s driving licence, a licence that allows driving while accompanied by a licensed driver. From 1 January 2021, this age will drop to 17. The process of […]
Switzerland’s 2019 motorway vignette goes on sale
Every year the vignette is a different colour. This year it’s metallic sky blue. Valid from 1 December 2018 until 31 January 2020, the new stickers will be available at the same CHF 40 price in the usual places: service stations, garages, post offices and customs offices. If you have a 2018 sticker it remains […]
