Road signs in Switzerland and Liechtenstein
Road signs in Switzerland and Liechtenstein generally conform to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals.[1]
Although Switzerland is not a member of the European Union, the road signs largely follow the general European conventions concerning the use of shape and color to indicate their function. However, this is only a general pattern, as there are several exceptions.
Switzerland signed the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals on November 8, 1968 and ratified it on December 11, 1991.[2] On March 2, 2020 Liechtenstein acceded to the Convention.
Concepts
Legal basis
The Swiss road signs are defined in the Road Signs Act, which is based on several laws and ordinances. Liechtenstein largely follows the legislation of Switzerland.
The major laws are:
Swiss laws
SR/RS No. | Title | de | fr | it | ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
741.21 | Road Signs Act | Signalisationsverordnung vom 5. September 1979 (SSV) | Ordonnance du 5 septembre 1979 sur la signalisation routière (OSR) | Ordinanza del 5 settembre 1979 sulla segnaletica stradale (OSStr) | [3] |
741.01 | Road Traffic Act | Strassenverkehrsgesetz vom 19. Dezember 1958 (SVG) | Loi fédérale du 19 décembre 1958 sur la circulation routière (LCR) | Legge federale del 19 dicembre 1958 sulla circolazione stradale (LCStr) | [4] |
741.11 | Road Traffic Rules Act | Verkehrsregelnverordnung vom 13. November 1962 (VRV) | Ordonnance du 13 novembre 1962 sur les règles de la circulation routière (OCR) | Ordinanza del 13 novembre 1962 sulle norme della circolazione stradale (ONC) | [5] |
725.111 | National Roads Act | Nationalstrassenverordnung vom 7. November 2007 (NSV) | Ordonnance sur les routes nationales du 7 novembre 2007 (ORN) | Ordinanza sulle strade nazionali del 7 novembre 2007 (OSN) | [6] |
Laws of Liechtenstein
No. | Title | de | ref |
---|---|---|---|
741.21 | Road Signs Act | Strassensignalisationsverordnung (SSV) vom 27. Dezember 1979, LGBl. 1978 Nr. 18 | |
Road Traffic Law | Strassenverkehrsgesetz (SVG) vom 30. Juni 1978, LGBl. 1978 Nr. 18 | ||
Road Traffic Rules Act | Verkehrsregelnverordnung (VRV) vom 1. August 1978, LGBl. 1978 Nr. 19 |
Language
Each canton is responsible for the management and placement of its road signs and complementary panels and uses one of the four official languages of Switzerland accordingly.
Metrics
Distances and other measurements are displayed in metric units.
Categorization and design
Category | Shape | No. | Character | (Major) colour of | Example(s) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
border | background | content | |||||
Warning | triangular | 1.01–1.32 | Conducting | red | white | black | |
Regulatory | circular | 2.01–2.20 | Prohibitive | red | white | black | |
2.30–2.65 | Commanding | white (thin) red |
blue white |
white black |
|||
Priority | various | 3.01–3.25 | various | ||||
Indication | rectangular | 4.01–4.25 | Conducting | white (thin) | blue | white & black | |
Routing 4.27–4.77.2 |
minor route minor road |
black (thin) | white | black | |||
particular purpose | |||||||
main route main road |
white (thin) | blue | white | ||||
motor-/expressway 4.60–4.73 |
white (thin) | green | white | ||||
detour route | black (thin) | orange | black | ||||
commercial direction | black (thin) | grey | black | ||||
bicycle route, mountain bike route, vehicle-like transport means route |
white (thin) | falu red | white | ||||
4.79–4.95 | Informational | white (thin) | blue | white | |||
Complementary Panels | rectangular | 5.01–5.58 | Compulsory | black (thin) | white | black | |
Road Markings | various | 6.01–6.31 | none | - | white yellow blue red |
||
Traffic Lights | circle cross arrows |
- | Commanding | white | black | red yellow green |
|
Police Instruction Signs | - | - | - | - | - |
Starting in 2003, the font ASTRA-Frutiger replaced the previous SNV, which is still used in several other European countries.[7][8]
Signs
Warning signs
1.05 Slippery road (e.g. black ice; panel 5.13 can be added, if there is black ice or slippery snow on road)
1.07 Road narrows on both sides (panel 5.15 can be added to indicate the width of the lane/road)
1.12 Loose chippings
1.15 Level crossing with barrier or gate (panel 5.12 can be added, if regulated by turn signals)
1.16 Railway level crossing without gate or barrier (traffic user is responsible to check optional approaches of trains!; panel 5.12 can be added, if regulated by turn signals)
1.22 Pedestrian crossing ahead (below 200 m ahead; only on non-urban roads in case of bad visibility; often panel 5.01 is added)
1.27 Traffic lights
1.30 Other danger (additional information will be added below the sign, e.g. panel 5.16)
Regulatory signs
Prohibitions
2.07 Prohibition of large goods vehicles (total weight is larger than 3.5 t)
2.10.1 Prohibition of vehicles carrying dangerous goods (always valid in tunnels)
Mandatory Instructions
2.30 Maximum speed limit (only valid during good condition, otherwise the driver must adjust speed to worse condition; ends with 2.53)
2.30.1 Generally valid speed limit within densely built-up areas (usually applied within the boundaries of a village or a town; ends with 2.53.1; German variant)
2.30.1 French variant
2.30.1 Italian variant
2.30.1 Romansh variant
2.31 Minimum speed limit (during good conditions (road, traffic, sight), the speed is not allowed to fall below the minimum speed limit; vehicles not capable of speeds exceeding 30 km/h are not allowed to continue; ends with 2.54)
2.36 Must continue straight ahead (see also 6.06)
2.37 Must turn right ahead (on motorways: must change to the right road; see also 6.06)
2.38 Must turn left ahead (on motorways: must change to the left road; see also 6.06)
2.39 Must turn right or left (see also 6.06)
2.40 Must continue straight ahead or turn right (see also 6.06)
2.41 Must continue straight ahead or turn left (see also 6.06)
2.41.1 Roundabout (must give yield to traffic in circle coming from left)
2.41.2 Mandatory direction for vehicles with dangerous goods
2.44 No overtaking (ends with 2.55; see also 6.01–6.09)
2.45 No overtaking by lorries (with a total weight larger than 3.5 t; ends with 2.56)
2.47 Minimum distance between large goods vehicles (total weight is larger than 3.5 t) required (if valid for a longer distance, then additional length information is shown below the sign: panel 5.03)
2.48 Snow chains required (metal snow chains must be applied to at least two wheels of the same axle; also valid for three-wheelers; ends with 2.57)
2.53 End of maximum speed limit (ends 2.30)
2.53.1 End of generally valid speed limit (end of 2.30.1, German variant)
2.53.1 French variant
2.53.1 Italian variant
2.53.1 Romansh variant
2.55 End of no overtaking restriction (end of 2.44)
2.56 End of no overtaking by lorries restriction (end of 2.45)
2.59.5a Start of Home zone (with 20 km/h speed limit, pedestrians and users of vehicle-like transport means, such as rollerblades, scooters, skateboards, etc., are allowed to use the entire street and have priority; parking only allowed at designated places; expect playing children in street!)
2.59.6a End of home zone
Priority signs
3.02 No priority/give way (only applicable, if junction/crossing is not controlled by working traffic lights; panels 5.01 and/or 5.09 can be added; see also 6.12–6.17)
3.03 Principal road with priority (Priority to the right rule does not apply; ends with 3.04; panel 5.09 can be added; see also see also 6.12–6.17)
3.04 End of principal road (the Priority to the right rule applies again; see also 6.12–6.17)
3.06 Crossroad with Priority to the right rule (only produced where situation could be unclear)
Indication signs
Conducting indication signs
4.01 Motorway (max speed limit 120 km/h, only motor vehicles are permitted which are capable of a speed of at least 80 km/h; overtaking only on the left side)
4.03 Expressway (often with oncoming traffic, max speed limit 100 km/h, only motor vehicles are permitted which are capable of a speed of at least 80 km/h; overtaking only on the left side)
4.08 One-way street
4.09 Dead end
4.11 Pedestrian crossing location (always produced on non-urban roads, in urban settings only, if badly visible; mandatory priority given to pedestrians – always applicable on any pedestrian crossings even w/o sign; see also 6.17–6.19)
4.17 Parking allowed (additional restriction and information may be published on another sign; if panel 5.14 is added, it indicates exclusive parking space for handicapped people; see also Parking markings)
4.18 Parking with parking disc (parking allowed while producing a clearly visible standardized parking disc (blue zone or red zone parking discs) showing arrival time; additional restrictions may be published on another sign; see also Parking markings)
4.19 (deprecated) End of parking area with parking disc (see also Parking markings)
4.20 Charged parking (additional requirements and restrictions may be published on the parking meter; if parking meter returns a parking slip, this slip must be produced clearly visible behind the windshield; if absolute parking time is limited, further payments or move of vehicle onto another space is prohibited)
4.21 Parking house (covered parking places)
4.25 Park and ride (parking with access to public transport)
Routing indication signs
... on main and minor roads
4.27 Entry of town/village on main road (often accompanied with a speed limit, normally requesting the generally valid speed limit of 50 km/h (see 2.30.1))
4.29 Entry of town/village on minor road (often accompanied with a speed limit, normally requesting the generally valid speed limit of 50 km/h (see 2.30.1); after the sign 4.29 the generally valid speed limit is applicable with the start of a densely built-up area even without the production of sign no. 2.30.1!)
4.31 Signpost to destination via motor-/expressway route
4.43 (deprecated) Routing information for corresponding left, middle, and right lane (directions are compulsory; see also 6.06)
4.46 Signpost to parking place (panels 5.20–5.32 can be added)
4.46.1 Signpost to park and ride (parking with access to public transport)
4.54 Announcement of roundabout on main road (here: left exit also leads to connection with motorway)
... numbering
... on motorways and expressways
4.63 Exit sign (in German)
4.63 Exit sign (in French)
4.63 Exit sign (in Italian)
4.71 Distance to police station (in German)
4.71 Distance to police station (in French)
4.71 Distance to police station (in Italian)
... general
Informational signs
4.84 Petrol/gas station (panels 5.01 and/or 5.17 are often added)
Complementary panels
General remarks:
- All signs and complementary panels can be combined with complementary panels for particular kinds of transport means.
- If accompanied with the words ausgenommen / Excepté / eccettuato (excluding) or gestattet / Autorisé / permesso (permitted), it means that the indicated kind of transport means are excluded from the regulation of the main sign.
- The sign bicycles (5.31) also includes mopeds with a designed maximal speed of 20km/h.
5.07 Direction indicator (in order to clarify for which area a regulation is applied to; particularly applied to 2.60, 2.61, 2.62, if such a path must be used on the other side of the road; particularly applied to 2.50 and 4.17 in order to clarify the area at which parking is prohibited, or allowed, respectively)
5.14 Handicapped people (combined with 4.17 it designates exclusive parking spaces for handicapped people; corresponding parking card Parkkarte für behinderte Personen / Carte de stationnement pour personnes handicapées / Contrassegno di parcheggio per persone disabili must be produced clearly visible behind windshield)
5.22 Large goods vehicles (lorries; total weight is larger than 3.5 t)
Road markings
6.02 Double security strip (white, solid) & 6.03 Directing strip (white, broken)
6.02 separates driving directions on roads with 3 or more lanes (or expressways); crossing, traversing, or passing over it by vehicles is strictly prohibited
6.03 designates either centre of carriageway on two-lane roads, or separates lanes; crossing, traversing, passing over for overtaking is allowed; any change of lanes or overtaking manoeuvres (start and end) must always be indicated by flashing turn indicators!6.04 Double strip (combination of a security strip and a directing strip on either side of the security strip)
Designates the allowance to cross, pass, or traverse it, or to start an overtaking manoeuvre only from the side with the directing strip; always indicate such intentions by flashing turn indicators!6.10 Stop line (white, wide, solid) & 6.11 STOP (white word, optional) & 6.12 Longitudinal strip (white, solid, optional)
Is always combined with stop sign (3.01), and can be combined with traffic lights, level crossing (3.20–3.25), and on lanes for turn off traffic; traffic user must halt in front of the stop line and give way; irrelevant while traffic lights are green; stop lines are yellow, if exclusively addressed to bicycles and mopeds (e.g. on bicycle paths and lanes; see also 6.26)6.13 Waiting line (white, small triangles in a row with spikes towards the arriving vehicle) & 6.14 Announcement of waiting line (white, large triangle, optional) & 6.12 Longitudinal strip (white, solid, optional)
Must give way; is always printed on roads at entries to motorways and expressways, and is usually announced by 6.14 on main roads and important minor roads; always accompanied by 3.02, and can be combined with traffic lights; irrelevant while traffic lights are working (not flashing or turned off); waiting lines are yellow, if exclusively addressed to bicycles and mopeds (e.g. on bicycle paths and lanes)6.16.1 Guidestrips (example 1) continue stop or waiting lines
... and separates the side road from the main road;
Guidestrips do not appear on side roads with valid Priority to the right rule (see also 3.06)6.17 Pedestrian crossing (longitudinal, wide, yellow; on cobble stones if need be white) & 6.18 Prohibition of stopping strip
6.17 Traffic users approaching pedestrian crossings must always give way to pedestrians and safely stop, anywhere, if not orchestrated by working traffic lights (not flashing, or not turned off; see also 4.11);
6.18 It is prohibited to voluntarily stop next to 6.18 and on the sideway next to it; do not halt on pedestrian crossings, even not during rush hours (heavily fined!)Parking (usually framed by white, blue, red, or yellow solid strips)
Parking fields can be signposted (see 4.17–4.21) and / or framed by white (for free, if not signposted with 4.20; or 4.18), blue, or red solid strips (sometimes only indicated by partial markings); blue markings indicate Blue Zone parking spaces with parking disc/card (see #Blue Zone parking disc); red markings indicate Red Zone parking spaces (only existing in a few cantons); yellow parking spaces are reserved for private or special purposes (prohibited to be used by public);
In areas with parking markings, it is prohibited to park anywhere else; only use parking markings of appropriate size for bicycles/mopeds, motorbikes, cars, buses (indicated by word CAR), or lorries!
Blue Zones can be indicated by a thick white-blue crossline at the start and by thick blue-white crossline at the end of the zone6.26 Extended bicycle lane (waiting area placed in front of stop line with an additional yellow stop line and a bicycle icon in front of the white stop line)
During red traffic light bicycles and mopeds are allowed to wait in front of first motor vehicle and next to each other, motor vehicles must stop in front of the white stop line; when traffic light becomes green, motor vehicles must be patient and give way to bicycles and mopeds starting in front of them in order to let them cross the crossroad first!
Traffic lights
General Remarks:
- Working traffic light signals (not turned off or not flashing yellow) precede the priority signs, the road markings, and the general road rules.
- A yellow flashing traffic light warns of special caution, and the general road rules, priority signs, and road markings have to be applied and followed (in particular stop signs (see 3.01) or give way signs (see 3.02) and all other priority signs, or direction indications (e.g. see 2.32–2.43, 2.46, 6.06, 6.10, 6.13), and others)
- White traffic lights are addressed to public transport only.
General rules
7.01 Red light means "halt".
Valid for all road users as long as there are not additional traffic lights addressed to particular road users (e.g. bicycles and mopeds); motor vehicles must stop in front of the stop line (see 6.10, and especially 6.26), and motor vehicles usually turn off the engine in order to reduce air and sound pollution
Flashing red lights exists only at level crossings (see 3.20 and 3.21), and have the same meaning!
7.10 Red light with direction indication, here: straight ahead (black outline figure of arrow(s))
Valid only for the (lane with) corresponding direction(s); indicated direction(s) are mandatory (corresponds with direction indication signs 2.32–2.41 and pre-selecting arrows 6.06 on road surface, if present)7.12 Green arrow, here: straight ahead (green arrow(s))
Permits traffic according to the indicated direction(s)
Valid only for the (lane with) corresponding direction(s); indicated direction(s) are mandatory (corresponds with direction indication signs 2.32–2.41 and pre-selecting arrows 6.06 on road surface, if present)7.13 Direction panel additionally indicates direction(s), here: straight ahead (black arrow(s))
Valid only for the (lane with) corresponding direction(s); indicated direction(s) are mandatory (corresponds with direction indication signs 2.32-2.41 and pre-selecting arrows 6.06 on road surface, if present)7.14.1 Green arrow with additional flashing yellow (example 1), here: turning to the left
Permits traffic turning to the left, but indicates that turning vehicles must give way to oncoming traffic and to pedestrians and users of vehicle-like transport means (such as rollerblades, scooters, skateboards, etc.) on side roads (usually traversing the side road on pedestrian crossings at the same time)!7.14.2 Green arrow with additional flashing yellow (example 2), here: turning to the right
Permits traffic turning to the right, but indicates that turning vehicles must give way to pedestrians and users of vehicle-like transport means (such as rollerblades, scooters, skateboards, etc.) on side roads (usually traversing the side road on pedestrian crossings at the same time)!
Specifically addressed
Police instruction signs
Blue Zone parking disc
When parking in a Blue Zone, you should set and display a blue parking disc with the time of arrival according to the Blue Zone Rules. Parking in a blue zone space is limited to 1 hour unless otherwise indicated. When parking, make sure the whole vehicle, including bumpers, are within the marked parking space.
Blue disks are available in various places, such as the police station, hotels, tourist offices, newsstands, the local Gemeinde/Town hall, garages and gas stations.
Blue Zone Parking Rules
From Monday to Saturday
Set the disc to the exact time or the next half-hour mark if the exact time is not printed on the disc.
Between | Parking Allowed |
---|---|
8:00-11:30 | For 1 hour after set time |
13:30-18:00 | For 1 hour after set time |
11:00-13:30 | Until 14:30 |
18:00-19:00 | Until 09:00 the next morning |
19:00-07:59 | Blue disc is not needed if you leave by 08:00 |
From Saturday 18:00 until Monday 09:00 blue-zone parking is free. No need to set blue disc.
For Blue Zones marked with a 4 digit area code and you do not have the corresponding parking permit just follow regular Blue Zone parking rules. If you have a valid parking permit for the specific area code, parking is unlimited in these zones.
See also
References
- ^ "Convention on Road Signs and Signals Vienna, 8 November 1968". United Nations. Archived from the original on 3 June 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
- ^ "United Nations Treaty Collection". treaties.un.org. Retrieved 2023-11-18.
- ^ "SR 741.21 Signalisationsverordnung vom 5. September 1979 (SSV)" (in German, French, and Italian). Berne, Switzerland: Swiss Federal Council. 15 January 2017. Retrieved 2017-08-07.
- ^ "SR 741.01 Strassenverkehrsgesetz vom 19. Dezember 1958 (SVG)" (in German, French, and Italian). Berne, Switzerland: Swiss Federal Council. 1 October 2016. Retrieved 2017-08-31.
- ^ "SR 741.11 Verkehrsregelnverordnung vom 13. November 1962 (VRV)" (in German, French, and Italian). Berne, Switzerland: Swiss Federal Council. 7 May 2017. Retrieved 2017-08-31.
- ^ "SR 725.111 Nationalstrassenverordnung vom 7. November 2007 (NSV)" (in German, French, and Italian). Berne, Switzerland: Swiss Federal Council. 1 January 2016. Retrieved 2017-08-31.
- ^ rel (20 January 2003). "«Frutiger» für die Strasse". NZZ (in German). Zurich, Switzerland. Retrieved 2017-06-28.
- ^ "Frutiger honored with SOTA award". Microsoft Typography. Retrieved 1 September 2012.