If you are checking your makeup on the mirror or scratching your ***** and fail to engage when the light changes, you will be tooted
And we drivers, who are considerate with others. Stay alert when in front of such a short light, to free the way as quick as possible for the others ( and ourselves BTW ) to pass.
Is it just me newly arrived from the UK? Or do they have no idea how to use a roundabout?!
Are you driving on the right side of the road I hope ?
You might be a little surprised to learn that in some European countries, roundabouts are quite unusual. I lived in Hamburg for a couple of years, there were two roundabouts in the entire city. Same in Cologne where I lived for 9 years, I think there were two, maybe three there. Here in ZH there are very few in the city, in fact I'm trying hard to think of where there is one.
There's another stupid rule about them, I have to see if I can remember this properly, the ones with signs you shouldn't indicate and the ones without you should or maybe it was the other way around? Whatever, I use them in the UK fashion and indicate.
Wait until you discover the joy known as "Rechts vor links" = Right has priority over left. That's really fun
I don't know London but you clearly don't know other realities. Go to Milan, or even worse Rome or Paris, and then we're talking
Absolutely nonsense as someone else said.. Zurich drivers are SLOW and lazy. They run 80/90km/h in the motorway.. if something like that happens in Italy it will be hell on earth considering the amount of traffic that we have.
In the city they stick very carefully to the limit (50 km/h) which is something that will make you hate driving... cos it's something that belongs more to a robot than a human to drive constantly at that speed (mind you, I'll never get an automatic car although that would slot me in more easily to the boring driving style).
Of course if you dare to go slightly above the limit (let's say 60) you'll be kissed by the many speed traps disseminated everywhere..
Another load of nonsense. They keep very well the safety distance and they always stop before the pedestrian stripes if someone is next to cross them. Again compare this to Italy, Holland and other countries..
I think that you should give up driving in general if you get stressed by driving here.. I find the driving experience in Zurich plain boring and costly (speed traps everywhere, no way to find a park space although it's plenty of space but since kantonpolizei has nothing better to do than looking for a car in the middle of a desert you have to pay for private parking anyway etc).
Perhaps it's time to sell your car and take the public transports, after all Switzerland has got one of the best transit system in Europe (give to Caesar what is of Caesar).
But that's still boring... yaaaawwwwnnn...
Enough of posting, that has bored me too!
That is true of some of the otherwise lovely and ever-so-nice Malaysian friends I have. The minute they get behind the wheel they turn into impatient, intolerant, snarling and cussing demons. It's quite scary really; it's like being friends with Dr Jekyll/Mr Hyde.
I agree. The moment we drive into Italy's highways and trunk roads, my heart seizes up and my knuckles turn white. (It can be crazier than in Malaysia but in a different way -- that's probably because Italy is the home of Ferrari.) Cars don't really stop at pedestrian crossings; they sort of slow down and expect you to walk between their fenders; it's too inconvenient for them to stop completely.
I've since learnt to drive like a robot in 30kph, 50kph and 60kph zones in CH. To do otherwise is just too expensive.
I second that emotion: If anyone thinks driving in Zurich is too stressful, public transport is the way to go, even though it's kinda boring.
Have you noticed that most people here drive on the RIGHT side of the road
If you follow that rule, you should also get used to using a roundabout. Beside going in the other direction, key difference is that you are supposed to indicate only (has been discussed before - this is the law and also is how it works in many European countries) before you leave the roundabout, not while you still circle around.
From personal experience; they haven't got the slightest clue on how to use roundabouts. At least all of my colleges here on the company can 2nd that.
I wonder who the hell is teaching the Swiss how to drive. He ain't no rocket surgeon at least, that's for sure
Most impatient drivers.....Madrid.
At school you learn that the definition of a millisecond is the amount of time between when a traffic light turns green and the driver behind you beeps the horn.
Makes a lot of sense to me..... usually, I start flashing the lights when the traffic light turns yellow and then use the horn immediately when it switches to green
Has anyone of you ever been driving in Chicago or NYC? I always found it amazing how quickly the driver behind you (especially cabs) will use the horn there. Never ever happened to me in CH though.... (in several years)
Tip for anyone driving a Citroen - don't over-toot.
I had a Citroen AX when I lived in England and if I was ever over enthusiastic on the horn it ended up running out of puff and sounding like an asthmatic dog-toy.
What is the big deal about driving into/out of a roundabout? You go in when there's a space, keep right if you're taking the first or second exit, keep left if you're taking the third or fourth exit, signal a few seconds before exiting (moving to the right carefully if necessary). Please tell me if I'm wrong.
Exactly. It doesn't take a grade in roundabouting to get a hang of that. But somehow they manage to screw it up. How they manage to screw up is still a mystery to me.
How do you determine a Swiss driver then, stop them and ask for identification ?
The car plates tell you nothing, you all have Swiss plates too......and there is something like 22% of foreigners in Switzerland.
rules for roundabouts are very simple.
1. when entering the roundabout, you must yield to the ones coming from the left as they are already in priority ( 1st. priority rule , "lane priority" ), not a problem to know it if you are a foreigner as there are allways yield signs and inverted triangles painted on the road.
2. when going out of the roundabout, signal with your right blinker that you are going out, so the ones waiting at the next input can come in safely and the ones behind you know you'll reduce your speed a little.
Simple as that.
If the rules are different on your country of origin you'd find roundabouts complicated or bad here, but otherwise it is ok.
two problems make things not so smooth on roundabouts here
1. people who don't signal when going out
2. people who are too afraid to come in and expect the roundabout is empty before they dare to go in.
The only problem I have on roundabouts is when there are traffic peaks and there are too many scared drivers that slow it down, then a traffic lights would be better.
In cities like Lausanne they indeed installed traffic lights on some of the main roundabouts where this problem was observed, the traffic lights are iddle during the normal hours.
another note. Roundabouts are relatively new in Switzerland, they started to install them less than 10 years ago.
They made tests in Geneva and Zürich in around 98 of roundabouts and "Zone 30" areas in the city, the results seemed to improve traffic and reduce accidents and then they started to build them everywhere.
From all the posts here I don't get one thing: why do ppl make general conclusions on the swiss driving? Not a small portion of my swiss colleagues drive cars above 200bhp and know how to use them. Yes - of course there are people driving slow and doing stupid stuff on the road but can you tell which are foreigners and which not? Anyhow there are some bad habits here like pushing you to the wall trying to join in on the left lane to Zurich in the Milchbruck but besides that it's not too bad.
Good advice on roundabouts, SL.
My pet hates are roundabout hesitators, panickers, non-indicators or over-indicators ("Kreisel Links-Blinkers")
Oh, and articulated lorries who insist on entering the roundabout in front of you, when you are already half-way around the bloody thing.
They get to learn a lot of new and interesting British expressions of frustration.
I think a lot of people forget that there are drivers on the roads who are totally unfamiliar with the area and are looking for the right turn-off or the right roundabout exit.
I am often cautious and definitely don't drive with as much conviction or speed when I am in a new town or even an unfamiliar part of Zurich.
If you then mix in the drivers who have driven that stretch for 10, 20 or more years you can see where the driving inconsistencies will occur.
How many people on this forum can honestly say they haven't been driving somewhere new and have suddenly spotted their turn-off and slammed on the brakes, indicator and not really checked in their mirror.
Show me someone who says "Well, actually if I see my turning too late I realise it's not safe and a bit unpredictable to turn with such short notice so I carry on until I find somewhere to turn off and come back for another go."
... and I'll show you a liar...
My fav-hate with Swiss driving is the 60KPH-er: the driver who goes at 60kph when it's 80kph regardless of the number of cars in their 'caravan'. Then when they drive through a village where the limit is 50kph, what happens? Nothing they stay at 60...
Ditto, but only facial expressions I hope
I hate indecisive drivers as well. The Swiss aren't too bad at driving. Having driven around towns like Worthing in Sussex, where everyone is so slow and geriatric. And then in Spain for some years where everyone is MENTAL. It doesn't seem too bad here. I'm still driving on Spanish plates, so most people give me a wide berth and I can get away with a bit of assertive driving, probably, because they think that I am an Alonso Wannabe. The point was made earlier. Never assume the nationality of the driver by their licence plates.