Hello, I have lived in Switzerland for around a year after moving from the US. I love it here, both the country and the people are amazing. Earlier I posted a joke about Swiss people in tunnels and I found it interesting seeing what people had to say. I thought I would share some positive and negative experiences driving here compared to the US.
Positive:
* **Horns:** People use their horns much less overall. At traffic lights, drivers usually flash their high beams before honking. In other situations, for example when after being cut off, people often just didn’t honk.
* **Pedestrians:** People are incredibly courteous to pedestrians at crossings. Drivers will stop *every time* a pedestrian is waiting at a crossing, and sometimes even while they are walking up to the crossing. In the US pedestrian crossings without lights are rare, as drivers often just don’t notice them and blow past ([like this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Tf6dFhH-nA)) even though they are supposed to stop.
* **Highways (autobahn 🙂 ):** Quite a bit faster than in the US, but because everyone stays in the correct lane and always indicates, it actually felt safer. Some interesting things I noticed:
* – People would often drive below the speed limit in tunnels, despite going over on the highway (hence my earlier post 🙂 )
* – People would slow down to pass. Someone cruising at 140 would often go 125 or 110 depending on who they were passing. I actually really liked this, I hate having cars fly past me.
* – Cameras instead of police enforcing the speed limit, I actually haven’t seen a single police stop here. You could tell when a camera was coming up because everyone would somehow slow down from 130 to 110, even thought I can’t find any warnings.
* People move onto the right lane to let people enter the highway (very nice).
More negative parts:
* **Speed**: Speed cameras were new to me, but seem reasonable. What I found really interesting though was how people drove at *exactly* the speed limit, like within 2km/h. At first I would drive a bit slow, like I did in the US. This quickly changed after I found that going even 10km/h slow would lead to frustrated drivers and sometimes even dangerous overtakes. This is difficult, because despite speed limits here not always being marked, somehow everyone knows when a 50km/h zone changes to 80km/h.
* **Tailgating:** This was a big difference. According to a Swiss friend, “tailgating” isn’t really considered rude or aggressive here. Especially after traffic lights, cars all travel exactly the speed limit. I recently had 2 people drive directly behind me on highway for almost 45 min, we were all going exactly 130. It was around **2am so the highway was empty**. If this was in America, I would assume these people were trying to kill me, and even though I knew it was different in Switzerland I still felt a bit uncomfortable.
* **Indicators:** Despite people *always* using their indicators on the highway, I actually found that in cities they were used less than in the US. This made **roundabouts** very difficult for me. Not only were these new to me, but most of the time drivers indicated neither entering nor leaving them. In spite of this, Swiss drivers could still somehow tell when it was safe to enter. I don’t understand this, so I usually wait until it is completely clear or the person indicates they are exiting. This is one of the rare situations I do actually get honked at, I always feel bad for holding up traffic but I don’t want to cause an accident.
* **Stopping in the street**: Streets are a lot smaller and tighter than in the US, especially in urban areas. Because of this, I was pretty surprised to see that it was how common it was to just leave cars blocking the road or sidewalk with hazards flashing. Even more surprising was that drivers reacted to this by forming two lines and letting each other pass through the gap by flashing beams. I had never seen this before – if someone left a car like that in the US, it would block all traffic and likely cause an accident as people try to pass it.
* **Merging**: You are expected to go into your lane as soon as possible, zipper merging does not exist. “Skipping ahead” by using the other lane is apparently seen as *very* rude, so much so that some drivers will just not give you space to merge. This is not a great approach – I’ve personally seen it lead to huge traffic jams where one lane had maybe 40 cars waiting, blocking other intersections and crosswalks, and the other lane was empty.
Of course these are just my personal experiences, but hopefully you found them interesting. Overall I find driving here harder than at home, but it clearly works well for you guys. I’ll likely be staying here longer than expected so maybe one day I will become a perfect Swiss driver 😉
34 comments
Driving a car in the US must be real bad because to my experience, driving here in Switzerland is far from as good as you described it.
(Btw. Have you already checked out our actually awesome public transport system?)
Thanks for sharing! I find it useful to turn on the speed limit feature of the car (mind, NOT cruise control), and adjust it as the limit changes. This way I never need to think about driving too fast.
Having said that, I drive seldom (using public transport 99% of the time), so it may be annoying to do on a daily basis.
Pedestrians have the right of way. If there’s someone at the crossing you have to stop.
Big fine if you don’t.
Major trouble if you injure someone.
You are only supposed to use your indicators when you leave the roundabout. Why would you need them for entering?
>If this was in America, I would assume these people were trying to kill me
It’s important to understand that this is very improbable in Switzerland, and that you absolutely shouldn’t shoot at them.
One of the major things I have noticed is that there are A LOT more stop signs in the US than Switzerland. Maybe there are other solutions or rules that I am missing, but lack of stop signs in either directions at certain intersections, albeit in slow residential zones, is still something very new to me and I find myself creeping carefully as I approach intersections.
It’s definitely interesting to read, but honestly I think that this comparison massively depends on where you drive in the US. Nobody really uses indicators in southern california where I live and maintaining safe distance between cars on the freeway is impossible as someone will squeeze in if the gap is “too big”. Turning right on red is one of the biggest positives, the total lack of awareness on how to safely use on and off ramps and highways in general probably one of the biggest negatives.
Tailgaiting in Switzerland is really different on highways because if you leave to much distance between yourself and the car in front of you an AH will drive in between so you leave some distance but not too much. And where I live there is always a lot of traffic so unless you drive at 2 in the morning there is always quite a lot of traffic.
Maybe the ones tailgating wanted your aero for better fuel efficiency lmao. There are some people lile that.
But like 0.1% of the population and maybe my dad.
>According to a Swiss friend, “tailgating” isn’t really considered rude or aggressive here
Sounds like something a tailgater would say.
“people often didn’t honk” but they probably swore very loudly
Pedestrians have right of way pretty much everywhere, and you absolutely need to be vigilant. As somebody else said, major trouble if someone gets injured.
Roundabouts: you need to watch the wheels of the cars coming around the roundabout to see if they’re pointing towards the exit or if they’re still turning. Not sure if that helps
I don’t share your experience of tunnels but that might be regional 🙂
Edit: the 50/80 thing is just built-up areas vs areas with no buildings at all
thanks for sharing
I’m a terrible driver so, I don’t know if I should be taken seriously.
For the roundabout, you are supposed to be mindful of people on your left or those that are in the roundabout.
If it’s a two lanes roundabout, people who are inside the shorter circle have the priority. They should be able to leave the roundabout without having to stop the car.
My mom’s generation has never been taught any of that during their driving lessons. So, usually, they sort of invent their own logic.
If someone indicates that he wants to leave the roundabout on your left usually you can use it to find a spot for your car.
When it’s crowded (more often than not when trying to find a place in a traffic jam) you should apply the zipper merge. Make room for one car but try to make yourself respected if everyone force their way.
In practice, one should merge when the other drivers are nice because it is still considered entitled to speed past everyone and merge at the last second, more so on the speeding lane to enter the highway and a bit less so, when there is only one lane due to constructions.
This is difficult, because despite speed limits here not always being marked, somehow everyone knows when a 50km/h zone changes to 80km/h.
It’s actually rather simple. Inside a village /city it’s 50 unless marked otherwise on the countryside it’s 80. I know in the US you have signs telling the speed everywhere this will not be the case eventhough we love signs. And please don’t turn right when when the light is on red.
Interesting perspective. Thanks for sharing.
Some or your points seem to stem from a lack of understanding or being used to the driving laws here and will get better with practice and after the many pointers you are getting in the comments. ^^
> Speed limit
Within villages/built-up areas 50, outside 80. Unless otherwise marked. You always have a sign lifting the reduced speed limit and it’s up to you to know that it’s now back to 50 or 80 depending on where you are.
> Merging: turn lane queuing vs. using all lanes and zipping
This depends on the specific situation:
– If you have lanes that each go in different directions, you are supposed to queue in the correct lane, even if it is backed up. (for example a backed up highway exit or a turn lane at an intersection)
– If it is a lane reduction where 2 identical lanes become 1, it is correct to use both lanes to the end and then zip.
> Roundabout indicating
Yeah. In Switzerland we only indicate right when leaving the roundabout. Not left when entering or staying in the roundabout. If you plan to leave at the first exit, you can also indicate right even before entering. That way drivers at the second exit can already see your intention.
Unfortunately, some people don’t indicate at all.
What sometimes helps is local knowledge. At some roundabout it’s more easy to predict the intention of a driver, even if they don’t indicate.
—-
Maybe I misunderstood some of your points… in that case just ignore me 😉
80 zones in rural areas are actually almost always indicated by the greyed out 50 sign with a diagonal just when you’re about to leave a village. It’s usually on the back side of the 50/60 sign you find when you enter the village. They are much easier to miss than the red speed limit signs.
Intresting to hear a foreigners take on the driving experiences! Im not so much of a autotyp anyways. but did you try to go along whit a bike or the public transport?
What I found works well with people getting a bit too tailgating happy is to just use the windscreen washer. They usually fall back to a safe distance once they get squirted by soapy water.
In my first car, it had a rear window washer and I managed to turn it a little bit so it would squirt on the window but directly upward. Usually works pretty good to deter people from staying too close for comfort.
>People use their horns much less overall.
You’ve never been to Ticino.
I spent 10 years driving in Canada, which has a similar driving system to the US.
The main difference I’ve noticed here is that you’re supposed to do a mirror and shoulder check BEFORE you put your signal on, whereas I was taught to signal first, and then ensure you have space to make a move before you do so.
To me, this Swiss system seems useless. If you signal first, you’ve put forward a notification to other drivers of your intentions, and given them time to react to it before you move. If you wait until the last moment to signal, you’re going to catch other drivers off guard.
Tailgating is a criminal offence if done at speeds over 100 km/h.
A lot of people do it, but it is a big deal.
I would disagree about tailgating.
No matter where you are: if you tailgate, you’re an asshole
Can you elaborate on the last point? How is it supposed to work if you line up in the wrong lane and then try to squeeze in? Would you want everyone to line up equally in the right and wrong lanes, and then try to merge on the intersection? I don’t think that’s considered acceptable behavior even in the US.
Zipper merging is still the official rule. It’s just that people often don’t seem to know that or follow the rule.
As to the roundabout, you are not supposed to use your indicator when entering it, only when exiting. You can use it on entering to indicate straight away that you are exiting at the very next exit. People within the roundabout have the right of way, so you have to wait until it’s clear (enough) before you enter.
People slow down for speed cameras because most people know where they are, from driving past every day.
Tailgating is indeed rude and dangerous.
As someone who cycles a lot:
Horns are meant to signal immediate danger. There are way too many people who use a horn to signal their frustration. If the horn was as loud inside the cars as it is outside (to pedestrians, cyclists and inhabitants), people would use them even less.
I find the lack of indicator use at roundabouts really frustrating. It’s really useful to see 5ish seconds in advance if someone is exiting the roundabout as it takes 5ish seconds to clip in and get going. The lack of indicator use makes me more cautious and slows everyone down.
I’m still quite shocked how much people use their phones and other electronics here while driving. But it’s probably similar in the US.
Yeah. Swiss drivers definitely suck at zipper merging. You’re supposed to use the whole lane right to where it merges but people don’t get it.
There are the odd exceptions. I’ve once witnessed – in Liechtenstein of all places – a perfect zipper merge in a roundabout. It was rush hour congestion and at this roundabout there were as many cars coming from direction A as were coming from direction B. Every car from direction A let one car from direction B slip in front of them. It was magical!
List of Top 3 Assholes
3rd place: the one person in the gym that doesn‘t put his weights back
2nd place: the one person who doesn‘t clean his shit off the toilet, at the work.
1st place: that one person who doesn‘t use hus indicators when leaving the roundabout
When using a roundabout you look at the front wheels of the car to see where it is going. You won’t see the turn signal anyways and the wheels are safer option.
Pedestrians having right of way has the unfortunate side effect of them often thinking that means they can just jump in the middle of traffic with little to no notice
>You are expected to go into your lane as soon as possible, zipper merging does not exist.
Actually ‘zipper merging’ does exist, it’s even punishable with a fine if you wouldn’t do it. At some ends of the autobahn there are even signs stating it’s mandatory to do so.
We’d have far less stop-and-go if only everyone would obey the concept of it…
“Somehow everyone knows when a 50km/h zone changes to 80km/h”
Yes, this is and will forever be my problem.
I got a tip about roundabouts: Look at the cars wheels, not the indicator. Even if someone is indicating they’ll leave the roundabout there is a slim chance that they actually won’t, and if that causes an accident then you’re at fault because they had the right of way. Instead, look at the tires, even if people aren’t indicating, they’re tires will give away their intentions of leaving the roundabout a lot earlier than anything else
> In other situations, for example when after being cut off, people often just didn’t honk.
I’ve cut off and been honked at.
I offer my sincere appology. I know what I did was wrong, and I appreciate the patience you showed. I was heading down the wrong exit and hastily changed lanes right before it was too late. It looked safe to me, since you weren’t going faster than me, but I understand if it scared you as we were pretty close. I want you to know that I think about this every time I take that exit, and won’t do it again. Thank you, and I’m sorry.
About the line merging on highways, the “zippers”, you are supposed to do it as late as possible, drive until the end. I don’t know why mos people enter the other lane so early, but it breaks the system, leading to jams and endangerement of others. Because so many people do it wrong we even had a law passed recently that actually makes it illegal to merge early once a merging is signalled.