So, having already been living here for three years it's probably a bit late to ask this question but...

When driving on a minor road e.g you've pulled off the main road onto a housing estate, who the heck has right of way? For example I was driving along the little road to our house the other day, it's a small road just off from the main, with no markings, and a car came out off a turning to my right. Mr Whovian shouted at me cos I was supposed to give way to him. But to me I had right of way!

Can anyone here clarify what the rules for giving way are on minor roads with no markings? And what about a crossroads? Thankfully I tend to avoid driving most of the year due to being able to get to most places with my G.A! Would be lost without it.

On major roads you usually have priority, but on minor roads if there are no markings I expect to give priority to the right.

There are threads on this elsewhere on the forum but basically, in that situation the priority comes from the right. My defence tactic is to exercise absolute bloody caution at every junction because often (and I mean often) you get people, Swiss and foreigner alike, who have no idea who has priority.

Thankfully, most of these roads are set with a 30 km/h (sometimes with a 50 km/h) speed limit which probably prevents a good portion of prangs.

I know, epic fail, right?!

Thing is, I drive so rarely, and by this I mean probably about once a month max., that I barely think about these things. I have basically been assuming that you should give way to the right since I had a lecture on the subject, but I just wanted to clarify things with fellow expats.

Priority from the right is universal unless there is something to tell you otherwise. Either yellow diamond signs on the main roads (priority road) or give way markings on the turnings.

You need to be careful on those narrow residential roads and look both right and left, even if you have right of way. Sometimes the view isn't clear and the other car doesn't see you.

In just such a situation a few months ago, a guy coming from the left was in a raging fight with his wife and plowed right into the side of my car without even touching the brakes. I could just watch it happen, no time for anything.

Yes, he was 100% in the wrong and his insurance paid for absolutely everything, but thank you very much, I could have done without the experience.

But does this hold true for someone entering the road from a private driveway? The exit to a parking lot? Or only a road?

In my village, there is a small road that leads out from the local Migros and Post Office. It's definitely a public road, but it's very small and only accesses the car park. And unless you're a local, there's no way to know that it only leads to a parking lot as you pass it from the main road.

Over the past few years, I've noticed that local custom is never to give way to this road, but drivers almost universally give way to the small, residential road 10m further down the street. FWIW, both roads come off the main road through the village. The main road is not marked with a diamond, and there are no road markings on either road to indicate who has the priority.



(obviously, traffic would give way to to one or other of the side streets only, depending on which direction they were driving)

I guess you could say if it's on the map and has a name, coming from the right it has right of way, but I think the point isn't the legal right, the ego right or even the negligence right, it's a question of avoiding an incident.

Too often I find it's a more a matter of people playing belligerent chicken or negligence, so it is more up to you to assure your safe passage than right of way.

Only a road.

Private property, private roads, and parking lots ALWAYS must yield.

Tom

Every month another one comes along...

Will all Newbies: please read this book before you cause someone harm!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_...in+switzerland

...or even better, get the book Autofahren Heute (currently available for 1CHF on ricardo.ch)

Yes, it's in German, but the language is quite basic and there's very clear diagrams illustrating all the traffic laws - with lots of pictures explaining right of way in different situations.