Road signs in Switzerland and Liechtenstein
Road signs in Switzerland and Liechtenstein generally conform to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals.
Although Switzerland is not a member of the European Union, signs largely follow the general European conventions concerning the use of shape and color to indicate their function. This is just a general pattern, which knows several exceptions.
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's.The major ones are:
Swiss laws
| SR/RS No. | Title | de | fr | it | ref |
| 741.21 | Road Signs Act | Signalisationsverordnung vom 5. September 1979 | Ordonnance du 5 septembre 1979 sur la signalisation routière | Ordinanza del 5 settembre 1979 sulla segnaletica stradale | |
| 741.01 | Road Traffic Law | Strassenverkehrsgesetz vom 19. Dezember 1958 | Loi fédérale du 19 décembre 1958 sur la circulation routière | Legge federale del 19 dicembre 1958 sulla circolazione stradale | |
| 741.11 | Road Traffic Rules Act | Verkehrsregelnverordnung vom 13. November 1962 | Ordonnance du 13 novembre 1962 sur les règles de la circulation routière | Ordinanza del 13 novembre 1962 sulle norme della circolazione stradale | |
| 725.111 | National Roads Act | Nationalstrassenverordnung vom 7. November 2007 | Ordonnance sur les routes nationales du 7 novembre 2007 | Ordinanza sulle strade nazionali del 7 novembre 2007 |
Laws of Liechtenstein
| No. | Title | de | ref |
| 741.21 | Road Signs Act | Strassensignalisationsverordnung vom 27. Dezember 1979, LGBl. 1978 Nr. 18 | |
| Road Traffic Law | Strassenverkehrsgesetz vom 30. Juni 1978, LGBl. 1978 Nr. 18 | ||
| Road Traffic Rules Act | Verkehrsregelnverordnung vom 1. August 1978, LGBl. 1978 Nr. 19 |
Language
Each canton is responsible for 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
Starting 2003, the font ASTRA-Frutiger is replacing the previous SNV, which is still used in several European countries.Signs
Warning signs
Regulatory signs
Prohibitions
Mandatory Instructions
Priority signs
Indication signs
Conducting indication signs
Routing indication signs
... on main and minor roads
... numbering
... on motorways and expressways
... general
Informational signs
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 or gestattet / Autorisé / permesso, it means that the indicated kind of transport means are excluded from the regulation of the main sign.
- The sign bicycles also includes mopeds with a designed maximal speed of 20km/h.
Road markings
Traffic lights
General Remarks:- Working traffic light signals 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 or give way signs and all other priority signs, or direction indications !
- White traffic lights are addressed to public transport only.
General rules
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, news stands, the local Gemeinde/Town hall, garages and gas stations.
Blue Zone Parking Rules
From Monday to Saturday:
Between 8:00-11:30 and 13:30-18:00 set the disc to the exact time or the next half-hour mark if the exact time is not printed on the disc. Parking is allowed for 1 hour from set time.
Between 11:00-13:30 set the disc to the exact time or the next half-hour mark if the exact time is not printed on the disc. Parking is allowed until 14:30.
Between 18:00-19:00 set the disc to the exact time or the next half-hour mark if the exact time is not printed on the disc. Parking is allowed until 09:00 the next morning.
Between 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.