Those living in north eastern Switzerland planning to head south for a summer break live in fear of the Gotthard road tunnel, which is probably Switzerland’s most infamous traffic choke point. The summer of 2021 is proving to be no exception. On Monday, 26 July 2021, the queue of traffic on the northern side of […]
All new Swiss cars to have black box recorders
When an aircraft crashes, one the first actions is searching for the black box, which is typically bright orange, in order to understand what went wrong. Switzerland’s road authority would like to see similar technology added to all new cars from 7 July 2024, according to RTS. These black boxes would record information such as […]
Question of the week: why do so many Swiss rental cars have AI plates?
In Switzerland, cars are registered in the canton where the car owner resides, so most cars in a given canton bear the plates of that canton. However, there is a notable exception. Cars with plates from Appenzell-Innerrhoden (AI), Switzerland’s least populated canton, seem to pop up in large numbers everywhere. Why? Most car owners are […]
Swiss government to take aim at drivers of noisy vehicles
This week, Switzerland’s upper house followed parliament in voting in favour more severe sanctions for drivers of noisy vehicles. On 1 June 2021, the Council of States, Switzerland’s upper house voted 37 to 7 in support of stiffer penalties for driving a noisy vehicle or motorcycle. The text demands measures against driving illegally modified vehicles. […]
Serious cycling injuries up sharply in Switzerland in 2020
Last year the number of serious road injuries on Swiss roads rose 4% to 3,793, according to FEDRO, Switzerland’s road authority. Venturing on to roads on two wheels was the most likely way to end up seriously injured. Cyclists and e-bikers together accounted for the largest share (38%) of total serious accidents, followed by motorcyclists […]
Call for SUV import ban in Switzerland
Swiss parliamentarian Isabelle Pasquier-Eichenberger from the Green Party has asked the Federal Council to ban the import of vehicles weighing 2 tonnes or more from 2022. Heavy SUVs are becoming more and more popular in Switzerland. In 2019, around 130,000 were sold compared to 50,000 in 2010. They now make up 40% of new car […]
Changes to Swiss road rules on 1 January 2021
From 1 January 2021, a number of road rules will change. These will affect driving, cycling and parking. For drivers there are new motorway rules for emergency corridors, merging, passing on the right and caravans. For cyclists there are new rules on turning and using footpaths. These rules come into force on 1 January 2021, […]
Switzerland’s 2021 motorway vignette unveiled
Every year Switzerland’s motorway vignette is a different colour. This year it’s pale metallic green. Valid from 1 December 2020 until 31 January 2022, the new stickers that must be displayed by anyone using Switzerland’s motorway network will be available at the same CHF 40 price in the usual places: service stations, garages, post offices […]
Switzerland’s anti-noise initiatives spark anger
Last weekend, hundreds of motorcyclists protested in Bern over two parliamentary initiatives aimed at silencing their bikes. According to Le Matin, between 200 and 300 motorcyclists assembled to protest after calls were sent out via social media. The proposed laws would ban motorcycles emitting more than 95 decibels from Swiss roads. 95 decibels is around […]
Children soon allowed to cycle with pedestrians in Switzerland
Switzerland’s government recently announced that children up to 12 will be allowed to cycle on footpaths from 1 January 2021. The new rules will allow all young children to ride on footpaths when there is no cycle lane. Currently, only first grade primary school children can cycle on sidewalks in Switzerland. The government said that […]
