Getting around by car or motorcycle

It is very important to respect traffic rules in Switzerland.

If the rules are not followed, the fines are very high and your licence may be revoked. Some important rules:

• Everyone sitting in a car must wear a seat belt.
• Children up to 12 years old, or less than 150 cm tall, must be seated in a suitable car seat. This is mandatory.
• Driving after consuming alcohol (legal limit of 0.5‰) or drugs is punishable by law.
• It is forbidden to hold a phone in your hand while driving.

Phones can only be used with a hands-free setup.

• Headlamps (dipped beam) must be switched on, even during the day.
• In towns and villages the speed is generally limited to 50 km/h.

But some streets may be limited to 30 km/h or 20 km/h.

It is important to watch the road signs carefully.

• Outside towns and villages the speed is limited to 80 km/h.
• On motorways, the speed is limited to 120 km/h. Sometimes you have to slow down to 100 km/h or even lower.

It is important to watch the road signs carefully.

• You must overtake the left. But it is forbidden to overtake when the white line is continuous.
• Pedestrians always have priority when using a pedestrian crossing (yellow lines) to cross the road.
• In the event of an accident, if anyone is injured or a vehicle damaged the police must be called.

In Switzerland, the state finances the roads. You can drive for free on the roads, except on the motorways.

To drive on the motorways you have to buy a vignette. This is valid for one year.

It can be purchased as a sticker (vignette) at customs, at petrol stations, at the post office, in some shops or from the cantonal road traffic offices. It must be affixed to the windscreen (front window) of the vehicle.

It can also be purchased electronically on the internet.

In Switzerland, you must have insurance for a motor vehicle (car, motorcycle, etc.): motor vehicle liability insurance. This is mandatory.

This insurance covers the costs if there are injuries or damage to other people’s vehicles.

Motor vehicle liability insurance is not included in private third-party liability insurance. That’s another form of insurance.

For damage to your own vehicle, you can pay comprehensive insurance (partial or full). This insurance is not mandatory.

But be careful: if you are at fault, or if you have drunk alcohol or taken drugs, the insurance company may refuse to pay.

There are several private insurers that offer these types of insurance.

If you want to live in Switzerland and bring your car from another country, you must notify the customs service. Your vehicle needs to be cleared from customs. This means presenting the vehicle documents and paying taxes.

The vehicle must also pass a roadworthiness inspection.

It is mandatory to have:

• motor vehicle third-party liability insurance,
• a Swiss driving licence,
• and a Swiss registration number (plate).

The Office cantonal des véhicules (Cantonal Vehicle Office) (OVJ) will provide you with all the information you need.