crazy swiss driving habit, or is it me?
 

I learned driving in the USA more than ten years ago dont have too much driving experience in Europe. I moved to Basel recently, and noticed a weird behavior: when entering an intersection cars from the right jump in front of me, regardless of whatever situation. Today I was driving towards this red light and it turned green, so I simply kept going forward, with bunch of cars form the right honking and trying to do right-turns in front of me. I know, generally cars on the right have the right of way in a situation that correspond to a stop sign in the USA, but come on this is a green light on a major road (speed limit 60km/hr) and its supposed to be red for them, no?

Is there a good source in English on Swiss road rules?

Re: crazy swiss driving habit, or is it me?
 

If they have no stop or yield, then they DO have the right of way (if you are in a 'RH priority' zone)

Tom

Re: crazy swiss driving habit, or is it me?
 

Maybe you should read up on the local habits?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Living-Worki...2556954&sr=8-1

http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book...ctCurrency=USD

Re: crazy swiss driving habit, or is it me?
 

then, how do I know whether they have stop or yield, or not?

It doesnt make a lot of sense for the one who is driving along to constantly watch for the cars on the intersections to the right, while it is natural that cars wanting to enter a roadway watch for the oncoming traffic...

i mean, what is the exact rule for this whole thing? I truly wish to learn and obey

Re: crazy swiss driving habit, or is it me?
 

Clearly, it's you.... ;)

I also suggest besides reading up on the rules you should also take a few driving lessons. But go back to that intersection. Maybe in the lane you were in you were supposed to turn left. I'm guessing you missed something there.

Re: crazy swiss driving habit, or is it me?
 

take it easy, will you?

Re: crazy swiss driving habit, or is it me?
 

Rule of thumb: Swiss people hardly ever honk. If they do you are really wrong about something. If several ones did - well, you got the point.

I must say that I find it pretty scary to read that you have apparently no clue at all how traffic works here on the most basic rules. Don't discuss weather it makes sense to you, learn them or you endanger yourself and others.

And last but not least: how do you know if it is a right-before left crossing:
1. Is there a traffic light? If you have green and you go straight, there really cannot be other cars having the right of way as you described. I guess you overlooked something.

2. If there is no traffic light: Are there signs that rule the right of way? Not necessarily a stop sign, this one is enough:
http://www.hs-merseburg.de/~nosske/E...k/e2v_vz96.gif

If you don't know it - please take a lesson!

3. If there are no signs, is there a curb, even if "flattened"?
http://www.fahrtipps.de/img/200/bordstein-abgesenkt.jpg

4. If no, are there "sharkteeth" on the road?
http://www.fahrtipps.de/img/534/haif...rkierungen.jpg


If you know those steps and their meaning, it should be in theory easy to see who's got the right of way.

Re: crazy swiss driving habit, or is it me?
 

whoops. i think i'd have to drive a 2km/h to be able to process all those rules!

i just drive and hope that everyone stays out of my way!

Re: crazy swiss driving habit, or is it me?
 

Me too. But at least I know the rules that I'm ignoring. ;)

Re: crazy swiss driving habit, or is it me?
 

The priority from the right rule scares me a bit and I'm always extra careful in such zones.

If I am being honest (through gritted teeth) I have to say it makes sense really because it keeps the traffic flowing a bit better without having queues and queues of traffic backed up down the side roads of busy main streets.

Re: crazy swiss driving habit, or is it me?
 

You will want to look out for this road sign:

http://www.picturesof.net/_images_30...349-389048.jpg

and it's sister without the black diagonal slash...

Re: crazy swiss driving habit, or is it me?
 

If you can't cope with that then - honestly - you should not be driving here.

Re: crazy swiss driving habit, or is it me?
 

ALL traffic from the right??? My understanding is only to traffic from the right who do NOT have a give way sign?

Re: crazy swiss driving habit, or is it me?
 

Just as a reminder to all the advise given re right of way - according to the OP there was a green traffic light giving the right of way to the OP.
Maybe the green light did no refer to his lane (as suggested by MiniMia), but this is mere speculation on our part.
OP, you may want to verify that the green light was really for the straight lane, not the left- or right-hand lane at the intersection.

Re: crazy swiss driving habit, or is it me?
 

The thanks is not for the kill part, but for the driving lesson suggestion, which I really second.

Re: crazy swiss driving habit, or is it me?
 

Apart from on a roundabout, where vehicles already on the roundabout (and therefore coming from the LEFT) have priority :D

Re: crazy swiss driving habit, or is it me?
 

I will check and verify if it was a single or double lane, because this is the only possibility that makes sense with all the info (and flak!) given here so far

Re: crazy swiss driving habit, or is it me?
 

by the way, we dont seem to have a conclusion if the traffic on the right ALWAYS have the right of way as somebody suggested earlier. I already counted a few exceptions...

Re: crazy swiss driving habit, or is it me?
 

There is a light at Kunsthaus and then a priority to the right a few yards later.

I agree it's nuts, but one must obey!

It's best just to accept it, buy the Swiss Highway Code, and follow the rules... :)

Re: crazy swiss driving habit, or is it me?
 

If you learn to drive here, you learn the rules because you have no choice. Having the automatic right to drive here seems to be given too easily. I think there should at least be a test for the knowledge of the basic rules, and signs.