Penalties And Peculiarities Of The Swiss Highway Code

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) The Swiss Highway Code is one of the most detailed and strict on the continent. Updated annually, it reflects some of the magnificent obsessions typical of the Swiss mentality and customs. This content was published on February 7, 2026 - 11:00 9 minutes

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• Deutsch de Die Kuriositäten der Schweizer Strassengesetze Read more: Die Kuriositäten der Schweizer Strassenge
• Français fr Punitions et bizarreries du Code de la route en Suisse Read more: Punitions et bizarreries du Code de la route en S
• Italiano it Punizioni e bizzarrie del Codice della strada svizzero Original Read more: Punizioni e bizzarrie del Codice della strada svi

Driving on a Swiss road will probably soon strike you as being“very Swiss”: liberal, rational and fussy. Traffic lights, for example, show orange before red, and also before green. With orange, however, it is forbidden to go through the lights, unless braking would endanger someone else. Rather, it serves as a warning, and to ease traffic flow.

Unlike in other countries on the continent, where information is mostly at the side of the road and on signs, in Switzerland the stripes on the asphalt play an essential role. It is on the road surface that the division of a carriageway into cycle lanes, reserved for public transport and preselection art, is visible.

The laws can be found on the website of the Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) External link and the subject is regulated by the Federal Road Traffic Act. Federalism, then, turns everything into a jungle of rules, with aspects that are the responsibility of the cantons and municipalities. Crucial is the 74-page Ordinance on Road Traffic Regulations.

Hands off the horn

Obligations reflect Swissness, from attention to detail to a passion for order and cleanliness.

Forget about honking your horn in protest or to greet a friend. Article 29 of the ordinance calls horns“warning signals”, lumps them in with high beams, and specifies that they are used only“if traffic safety requires it”. Two cases are covered: to attract the attention of distracted onlookers or to negotiate a tight bend without a view. When night falls, honking is permitted only in the event of danger.

The ordinance warns about noise – such as keeping the engine running unnecessarily, accelerating too quickly or“constantly making unnecessary laps in built-up areas”. In 2025, the noise produced by exhaust pipes was added, particularly if it crackles, an offence for which there is a penalty of up to CHF10,000 ($12,850).

In addition, it's forbidden to load and unload the car carelessly and to slam the doors. Also prohibited are“other nuisances” such as splashing pedestrians in wet conditions.

The ordinance specifies that one must drive in such a way that other road users“are disturbed as little as possible”. Fussy Switzerland has put this in the Code, because if you are rude, there must be a chance to bring you to heel, legally.

Hefty fines

There is zero tolerance when it comes to parking. Parking is expensive, and you have to live in Switzerland for a few years to understand the logic. There is timed parking, free parking for 60 or 120 minutes with a parking disc; there are white and blue stripes; there is no concept of parking without paying in the cities, and controls are frequent.

Punishments for speeding are heavy. They range from CHF40 to thousands of francs and the withdrawal of a driving licence. Here are the Swiss speed limitsExternal link.

The rules are many, and so detailed that the best strategy behind the wheel is to live in paranoia. For example, the tyre tread must be at least 1.6 millimetres deep. An insufficient tread can be punished with a fine of CHF100. If the tyres are very worn, the licence can be revoked for at least one month.

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This content was published on Aug 13, 2010 A driver who hit headlines around the world for getting clocked in Switzerland at 290km/h (180mph) faces a world record fine of a million francs.

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