Priority to the right in Switzerland: the rule, exceptions and common mistakes
At a Swiss road junction, give way to vehicles approaching from your right unless another priority rule applies. First check traffic directions, lights, signs and special situations such as driveways or trams. A wider road, a straight route or arriving first does not by itself give you priority.
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What does priority to the right mean?
At an ordinary junction where no other priority arrangement applies, give way to a vehicle approaching from your right. The rule includes cars, motorcycles, mopeds, bicycles and e-bikes. Look at the other vehicle's position relative to your direction of travel, not at which side of a diagram it happens to occupy.
Giving way means allowing the other road user to continue without being obstructed by your entry. Slow down early enough to assess the junction, make your intention clear and stop before entering when needed. Do not move into the other vehicle's path and expect it to brake for you.
This is a legal priority rule. Disregarding it can lead to a collision, penalties and liability. Responsibility and any licence measures depend on the facts of the individual case; having priority does not permit you to force your way through an obvious danger.
Where does the rule apply?
Typical situations include:
- Uncontrolled crossroads and junctions in residential streets.
- T-junctions: the road that appears to continue straight does not automatically have priority.
- Junctions in 30 km/h zones where no different priority arrangement applies. Check the actual signs and layout at each junction.
- Junctions between traffic routes inside publicly accessible car parks, where the junction rules apply and nothing provides otherwise.
A car park needs a closer look: leaving a parking space, joining a road from a car park, and crossing two traffic routes are different situations. The general obligation to give way when entering traffic or leaving a car park must not be confused with priority at an internal junction. Do not assume that every vehicle appearing on your right in a car park has priority.
Road width, the quality of the surface and the impression of a more important road are not enough to decide priority. Nor is this a first-arrival rule. Identify the legal situation and the signs before deciding who may proceed.
The main exceptions at a glance
Priority to the right is the fallback rule. The following arrangements can take precedence:
| Situation | What to check | Legal reference |
|---|---|---|
| Signed main road: yellow diamond, sign 3.03 | Traffic on the main road has priority, including traffic from the left. Follow any supplementary sign showing its course. | SVG 36(2) |
| Stop (3.01) or Give way (3.02) | Give way to traffic on the road you are joining. At Stop, come to a complete stop; at Give way, stop when necessary. | SSV 36 |
| Roundabout sign 2.41.1 with Give way 3.02 | Give way to traffic approaching from the left on the roundabout. | VRV 41b |
| Tram | Rail vehicles generally have priority, including from the left. Follow the applicable traffic directions and lights. A tram coming from a minor road must give way to traffic on a main road (VRV 45(2)). | SVG 38; VRV 45 |
| Joining a road from a yard, garage, car park, petrol station or field track, or across a pavement | Give way to road users on the road you are joining, from either direction. | VRV 15(3) |
| Traffic directions from the police or operating traffic lights | Follow the applicable directions. A police officer's directions take precedence; operating lights normally determine the movement over priority signs. | SVG 27; SSV 67–68 |
A useful starting order is police directions → traffic lights → priority signs → general rules. At every step, also check the rules for your particular manoeuvre. For example, an ordinary green light does not remove your duty to give way to oncoming traffic when turning left. The hierarchy is a learning aid, not a substitute for observing the whole junction.
T-junctions, steep roads and four vehicles at once
T-junction: imagine that you are driving along the top of a T and a road joins from your right. If it is an ordinary road junction with no different priority arrangement, give way to the vehicle on that road. The shape of the junction does not put you first.
Narrow mountain and steep roads: meeting an oncoming vehicle is a different problem from priority at a junction. If two vehicles of the same kind cannot pass, the vehicle travelling downhill generally reverses, unless the uphill vehicle is close to a passing place. For vehicles of different kinds, VRV Article 9(2) gives priority to combinations with trailers over other vehicles, heavy motor vehicles over light ones, and coaches over lorries. The particular situation also matters. On signed mountain postal roads, follow the postal bus driver's directions when meeting or overtaking is difficult. See VRV Articles 9 and 38.
Four vehicles arriving together: if each driver has another vehicle on their right, nobody should simply claim the junction. Communicate clearly and wait until an agreed movement is safe. One driver's gesture does not give permission on behalf of a cyclist, pedestrian or any other road user.
A practical way to assess a junction
- Observe the whole situation: look for police directions, traffic lights, priority signs, road markings, pedestrians and cyclists.
- Identify the approach: is it a road junction, a driveway, a car-park exit, a pavement crossing or a tram route? Apply the relevant rule before assuming priority to the right.
- Check your manoeuvre: turning left, entering traffic or changing direction can create additional duties to give way. At an ordinary uncontrolled junction, check vehicles approaching from your right.
- Make a safe decision: approach at a speed that lets you yield, signal when required for your manoeuvre, and wait if you cannot establish a safe path.
Do not treat priority as a guarantee that another driver has seen you or will comply. If somebody is plainly failing to give way, react to avoid the danger instead of insisting on your priority. Practise recognising the situation with your driving instructor; no fixed sequence of glances replaces observation of what is actually happening.
Related signals
Common theory-test traps
- At a T-junction, the road continuing straight does not automatically have priority. First distinguish an ordinary road junction from an exit or pavement crossing.
- A tram can have priority from your left. Check its governing signals and special rules rather than using the shortcut ‘trams always go first’.
- When joining a road from a yard, garage, car park or petrol station, give way to road users on that road, including those approaching from your left.
- A bicycle or e-bike approaching from your right can have the same priority as a car at an ordinary junction. Check the approach and any separate cycle-path or crossing arrangement.
- A 30 km/h zone does not let you assume that your route has priority. Check each junction for the applicable rule.
Distinctions
- For a closer look at the special cases, continue to exceptions to priority to the right.
- At a roundabout with the usual roundabout and Give way signs, traffic approaching from the left on the roundabout has priority.
- The priority signs guide explains Stop, Give way and the main-road diamond.
Common questions
Does priority to the right apply in car parks?
It can apply at junctions between traffic routes in a publicly accessible car park. Do not confuse these with leaving a parking space or leaving the car park to join a road, where different duties to give way apply. Check the layout, signs and markings.
Who goes first if four vehicles arrive together?
If each driver must give way to a vehicle on their right, agree clearly who will proceed and ensure the movement is safe. Do not interpret a gesture as permission to ignore other road users.
Does a bicycle on my right have priority?
At an ordinary junction governed by priority to the right, yes: the rule applies to bicycles, e-bikes and mopeds too. A cycle path ending at a road, a pavement crossing or a separately controlled crossing must be assessed under its own rules.
Does priority to the right apply at a roundabout?
At a roundabout with the roundabout sign (2.41.1) and Give way sign (3.02), give way to traffic approaching from your left on the roundabout. Check the signs instead of relying only on a circular road layout.
What happens after a collision involving a failure to give way?
A failure to give way can result in penalties, licence measures and civil liability. These are assessed from the particular incident, its seriousness and each road user's conduct. Priority does not remove the duty to react to a danger you can recognise.
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