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?

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

Tom

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

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

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.

take it easy, will you?

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:


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

3. If there are no signs, is there a curb, even if "flattened"?


4. If no, are there "sharkteeth" on the road?



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

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!

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

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.

You will want to look out for this road sign:



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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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...

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...

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.