Road signs in Switzerland and Liechtenstein
Road signs in Switzerland and Liechtenstein generally conform to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals. As a result, its road signs largely follow the general European conventions concerning the use of shape and color to indicate their function. Switzerland signed the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals on November 8, 1968 and ratified it on December 11, 1991. On March 2, 2020 Liechtenstein acceded to the Convention.
Regulation
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 principal law for road signs in Switzerland is the Road Signs Act. In Liechtenstein, it is the Road Signalling Ordinance.In Switzerland, each canton is responsible for the management and placement of its road signs and complementary panels and they use the whichever of the four official languages of Switzerland is appropriate. In Liechtenstein, German is used.
Distances and other measurements are displayed in metric units in all cases.
In 2003, the ASTRA-Frutiger font replaced the SNV font, which is still used in Liechtenstein.
Indication signs
Direction signs
Motorways and expressways
File:CH-Hinweissignal-Ankündigung des nächsten Anschlusses.svg|4.60 First announcement of next exit
File:CH-Hinweissignal-Vorwegweiser bei Anschlüssen.svg|4.61 Second announcement of next exit
File:CH-Hinweissignal-Wegweiser bei Anschlüssen.svg|4.62 Start of exit
File:CH-Hinweissignal-Ausfahrtstafel.svg|4.63 Exit sign
File:CH-Hinweissignal-Ausfahrtstafel.svg|4.63 Exit sign
File:CH-Hinweissignal-Ausfahrtstafel.svg|4.63 Exit sign
File:CH-Hinweissignal-Trennungstafel.svg|4.64 Junction board
File:CH-Hinweissignal-Entfernungstafel.svg|4.65 Distance board
File:CH-Hinweissignal-Verzweigungstafel.svg|4.66 Announcement of junction
File:CH-Hinweissignal-Erster Vorwegweiser bei Verzweigungen.svg|4.67 First information about junction ahead
File:CH-Hinweissignal-Zweiter Vorwegweiser bei Verzweigungen.svg|4.68 Second information about junction ahead
File:CH-Hinweissignal-Einspurtafel über Fahrstreifen auf Autobahnen und Autostrassen.svg|4.69 Routing information above lane
File:CH-Hinweissignal-Hinweis auf Notrufsäulen.svg|4.70 Direction to the next emergency call pillar
File:CH-Hinweissignal-Hinweis auf Polizeistützpunkte.svg|4.71 Distance to police station
File:CH-Hinweissignal-Hinweis auf Polizeistützpunkte.svg|4.71 Distance to police station
File:CH-Hinweissignal-Hinweis auf Polizeistützpunkte.svg|4.71 Distance to police station
File:CH-Hinweissignal-Kilometertafel.svg|4.72 Kilometer sign
File:CH-Hinweissignal-Hektometertafel.svg|4.73 Hectometer sign
Other
File:CH-Hinweissignal-Strassenzustand.svg|4.75 Information about road condition of passes and ski resortsFile:CH-Hinweissignal-Vororientierung über den Strassenzustand.svg|4.76 Advance information about road condition and requirements of certain destinations
File:CH-Hinweissignal-Anzeige der Fahrstreifen.svg|4.77 Information about routing of lanes
File:CH-Hinweissignal-Anzeige von Fahrstreifen mit Beschränkungen.svg|4.77.1 Lane with restriction
CH-Hinweissignal-Freigabe des Pannenstreifens.svg|4.77.2 Use of hard shoulder permitted
Supplementary panels
All signs can be combined with 1 or more supplementary panels. If a supplementary panel is accompanied by the words ausgenommen / excepté / eccettuato or gestattet / autorisé / permesso, it means that the indicated kind of transport or tanks ) is excluded from the regulation of the main sign.Panel 5.31 for bicycles also applies to mopeds with a designed maximum speed of 20km/h.
Road markings
A number of road markings are used in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The road markings themselves give instructions to drivers, but they may at times also be accompanied by signs giving the same or additional instructions.| 6.01 Security strip | Designates centre of carriageway or border of lanes. Crossing, traversing, or passing over it by vehicles is not permitted. | |
| 6.02 Double security strip | Separates driving directions on roads with 3 or more lanes. Crossing, traversing, or passing over it by vehicles is not permitted. | |
| 6.03 Directing strip | Designates either centre of carriageway on two-lane roads, or separates lanes. Crossing, traversing, passing over for overtaking is allowed. | |
| 6.04 Double strip | Crossing, passing, or traversing, or starting an overtaking manoeuvre, is allowed only from the side with the broken directing strip. | |
| 6.05 Advance warning strip | Announces either security or double strips. Any overtaking manoeuvres must be completed. | |
| 6.06 Pre-selecting arrows | Indicates permitted manoeuvres from each lane for a junction; the chosen direction is compulsory. Yellow arrows indicate directions for public transport only and their permitted manoeuvres can differ. | |
| 6.07 Pull arrows | Orders to leave the lane in the indicated direction. | |
| 6.08 Bus lane | Indicates lanes exclusive to public transport. Any exceptions to this may be indicated with the use of supplementary panels under sign 2.64. It is permitted to cross the line if the yellow strip is broken. | |
| 6.10 Stop line | Traffic must stop at this line. Always accompanied by a stop sign. It may also be used at traffic lights, level crossings and on lanes for turn off traffic. Stop lines are yellow if exclusively addressed to bicycles and mopeds | |
| 6.11 Stop text | May appear alongside a stop line | |
| 6.12 Longitudinal strip | May appear alongside a stop line | |
| 6.12 Longitudinal strip | - | |
| 6.13 Give way line | Traffic must give way at this line. Always accompanied by a give way sign. Can be combined with traffic lights | |
| 6.14 Announcement of give way line | May announce the give way line on main roads and important minor roads | |
| 6.15 Border strip | Designates the edge of a carriageway | |
| 6.16 Guidestrip | Visually guides traffic through a junction. They may continue stop or waiting lines, separating the side road from the main road, or indicate the course of the principal road in cases of a turn in the principal road at a crossing. Guidestrips do not appear on side roads with valid priority to the right rule. | |
| Example 1 | Visually guides traffic through a junction. They may continue stop or waiting lines, separating the side road from the main road, or indicate the course of the principal road in cases of a turn in the principal road at a crossing. Guidestrips do not appear on side roads with valid priority to the right rule. | |
| Example 2 | Visually guides traffic through a junction. They may continue stop or waiting lines, separating the side road from the main road, or indicate the course of the principal road in cases of a turn in the principal road at a crossing. Guidestrips do not appear on side roads with valid priority to the right rule. | |
| 6.17 Pedestrian crossing | - | |
| 6.18 Prohibition of stopping strip | Stopping voluntarily is prohibited. | |
| 6.19 Pedestrian area | Area marked on roads for use by pedestrians only | |
| 6.20 Restricted area | Visually guides traffic; crossing, traversing, or passing is strictly prohibited. | |
| 6.21 Zigzag lines | Designate public bus stop area. Parking is prohibited. It can be used to pick up or drop off passengers, but only if public traffic is in no way obstructed. | |
| 6.22 Prohibition of parking strip | - | |
| 6.23 Prohibition of parking area | Exclusive parking for designated traffic users, indicated by the word TAXI or a license plate number. If labelled, it can be used to pick up or drop off passengers, but only if valid traffic user is in no way obstructed. | |
| Parking | Parking spaces can be signposted and/or marked by white, blue, or red solid strips ; blue markings indicate Blue Zone parking spaces with mandatory use of [|parking disc/card]; red markings indicate Red Zone parking spaces ; yellow parking spaces are reserved for private or special purposes. In areas with parking markings, it is prohibited to park anywhere else; only parking spaces of appropriate size for the relevant vehicle type, whether bicycle/moped, motorbike, car, bus or lorries should be used. Blue Zones can be indicated by a thick white-blue crossline at the start and a thick blue-white crossline at the end of the zone. | |
| 6.25 Prohibition of stopping strip | Voluntarily stopping is prohibited | |
| 6.26 Extended bicycle lane | 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 show patience and give way to bicycles and mopeds in front of them in order to let them clear the crossing first. | |
| 6.30 Guide post, right | Placed on the right-hand side of the carriageway, facing the driver on the right. It can also appear on the left-hand side of the carriageway on roads with either separated directions or without oncoming traffic. | |
| 6.31 Guide post, left | Placed on the left-hand side of the carriageway, facing the driver on the right. |
Traffic lights
Working traffic light signals take precedence over priority signs, road markings, and general road rules. A yellow flashing traffic light signals a need for special caution, and the general road rules, priority signs, and road markings must be applied and followed. White traffic lights are addressed to public transport only.Traffic signals containing direction indications apply only for the corresponding direction – traffic is required to follow the indicated direction. All traffic light rules apply to bicycles and mopeds as well, but can be exclusively addressed to them by showing a bicycle icon.
Police instruction signs
Blue Zone parking disc
When parking in a Blue Zone, it is mandatory to 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. No part of a parked vehicle, including bumpers, may protrude outside the marked parking space.Blue disks are available in various places, such as police stations, hotels, tourist offices, newsstands, the local Gemeinde/Town hall, garages and gas stations.
Blue Zone Parking Rules
From Monday to Saturday
The disc must be set to the exact time, or to the next half-hour mark if the exact time is not printed on the disc.| Hour slots | Parking allowed |
| 8:00 to 11:30 a.m. | For 1 hour after set time |
| 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. | Until 2:30 p.m. |
| 1:30 to 6:00 p.m. | For 1 hour after set time |
| 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. | Until 9:00 the next morning |
| 7:00 p.m. to 7:59 a.m. | Blue disc not needed if vehicle removed by 8:00 a.m. |
From 6:00 p.m. Saturday to 9:00 a.m. Monday, blue-zone parking is free and no blue disc is needed.
In blue zones marked with a 4-digit area code, parking is free for those with a valid parking permit for that specific area code. For those without the corresponding parking permit, regular Blue Zone parking rules apply.