Right of way at the wheel
Right of way at the wheel
"I was driving on the Swiss road towards Geneva when the right-hand lane I was in came to an end, forcing me to turn left. Some cars had anticipated this measure very early on, forming a long queue, whereas I preferred to stay in my lane until the end, which earned me a blockade amid a chorus of horns! Who has the right of way here?
Pascal, Vaud
Road traffic subjects road users to numerous traffic rules, in particular those relating to priorities, failure to observe which is one of the main causes of accidents. Article 26 of the Federal Road Traffic Act (LCR) lays down a fundamental rule: everyone must behave in such a way as not to hinder or endanger those using the road in accordance with the established rules. Particular care must be taken with children, the infirm, the elderly and in situations where it appears that a road user is going to behave improperly.
According to article 44 LCR, on roads with several parallel lanes going in the same direction, drivers may only move from one lane to another if this does not endanger other road users. This means that vehicles remaining in their lane have priority. More specifically, when on a two-lane road you are driving in a lane that merges into the neighbouring lane, you must give priority to vehicles already in that lane. In other words, the vehicle changing lanes never has priority.
In practice, in order to keep traffic flowing, when a lane is closed, the gendarmerie recommends applying the "zip" principle, which consists of using all the lanes available up to the height of the narrowing and then passing a car on the right, a car on the left, and so on. This ensures maximum throughput until the lane closes. However, this system is optional and depends on the good sense of drivers... So when the lane in which you are driving merges into another, you must always exercise caution, respect the rules of priority and not force your way through, especially during the Geneva Motor Show, when all the lanes on Geneva's roads will be particularly busy!
