1. There is an unofficial rule, that on a narrow road, the person coming up has the right of way. So if you're coming down, and can see me heading up towards you, pull into the nearest lay-by, you useless git. And if because of your age or infirmity or just plain stupidity you do not know how to reverse your car, don't drive on narrow mountain roads.
2. In the case of snowy narrow mountain roads, common sense must over-rule point 1 above.
I drive a 2.5 tonne 4WD. I am a good driver. But heaven help me, if I'm coming down the hill, on a snowy road, even at just 15km an hour, it's going to take about 50 metres to safely stop on a steep incline. If I hit ice, I may need 100 metres to safely stop.
So if you don't want me rearranging your front bumper bar, don't keep driving up towards me, thinking that I can stop quickly and reverse back to the closest lay-by. Instead you might want to take your little toy car and nip into the nearest gap where I won't roll over the top of you.
Do you by any chance live up the mountain from Gersau? Folks barreling down that twisty narrow one lane farm road scare the bejebus out of me.
Nearly bought the cutest old farmhouse out that way. But when I thought I'd need to keep an emergency defibrillator in the car for heart attacks induced by driving that road, I thought better of it.
If you're unable to control your vehicle it sounds like you're not properly equipped. Snow tyres? If they're not sufficient then perhaps you should have fitted chains?
You realise, I hope, that your apparent common sense approach would be of no use to you if you had an accident, so rant away, but don't expect any sympathy from the police if the little toy car makes you brake and you're not able to stop
How about me driving a lorry towards you, then according to you, I have the privilage and you should pull over and wait, unless you do not want me to rearrange your bumper bar(s)
Yes, have snow tires and all the gizmos for low gear etc.....
Point simply is that the average motorist doesn't factor in the vehicles around them and the differences in stopping distances and handling.
As a motorcyclist and former truck driver, I learnt years ago that its not about your own quality of riding/driving to the rules, but about needing to factor in the ignorance of others (to avoid accidents and worse)
So yes, when a lorry comes towards me today, I absolutely change my driving to accommodate any restrictions for speed/braking/etc differences between us; and where-ever possible I accommodate the lorry's restrictions.
However... now we're no longer allowed to reverse for long distances, I guess we both just have to wait until the road building program makes the road wide enough.
Don't shoot from the hip on numbers. There are plenty of smart people on this forum who will spot the anomalies.
We live on a private road. Yes, I'm told it has a 40% grade (not degree - my error) in parts. No I haven't measured it, but was told that by the street committee (can't pronounce the correct name but basically the home owners group responsible for applying our funds for road repairs)
Which is why we don't have removals trucks or garbage trucks here in the winter. And why, when I needed a mechanic recently, he had to come to us because it's not safe to tow anything down the mountain in winter conditions. And why most tradesmen and taxis don't bother coming here in the winter. And why the tractor that kind of clears the road of snow, winds up with huge tyre chains on as well.
I can assure you that I am not at 15kph when I am going down the steep gradients! And yes, engine braking is a given, but still not always enough.
My wishful thinking remains that the drivers that choose to ignore the private road signs and race up and down our mountain use some common sense for us in more cumbersome vehicles.
Thanks to those posters for confirming those road rules.