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DRIVING

The three important Swiss driving rules for when it snows

Winter driving in Switzerland can be hazardous if your vehicle is not properly equipped. Here is what you should know before you drive in snowy weather.

Published: 26 January 2021 14:41 CET
Updated: 9 January 2024 09:11 CET
The three important Swiss driving rules for when it snows
It is not a pleasant task but it must be done before you hit the road.

This information comes from Touring Club Suisse (TCS), the largest motoring organisation in Switzerland. 

There is no legal obligation to outfit your car with winter tyres, but…

This is a contradiction of sorts because while the law doesn’t require winter tyres, it states that the driver must be able to maintain control of the vehicle at all times and in all circumstances, and the car must be adapted to the weather conditions.

If you choose not to put on winter tyres and get into an accident, your insurance could reduce your compensation — or refuse to pay for the damages altogether.

And in the event that the accident was your fault, the insurance company can even claim against you for negligence.

If you do use winter tyres, keep in mind that the minimum tread required by law is 1.6 mm, but 4 mm is recommended.

READ ALSO: When should you change to winter tyres?

If there’s snow and ice on mountain roads, your car must be fitted with chains

However, you are obligated to put on chains only when there are signs marked “Mandatory snow chains.” The chains must allow starting, braking and lateral guidance on snow and ice.

It is recommended to chain at least two of the driving wheels on the same axle and never exceed the speed of 50 km / h.

Failure to comply with the obligation to use snow chains when’re it is required to do so could cost you 100 francs.

Remove snow and ice from the car before hitting the road

This should be self-evident, yet many drivers neglect to thoroughly clear the snow from the roof and hood, and defrost their windshield, windows, mirrors, and headlights, to ensure optimum visibility.

Snow falling from the roof while you drive represents a danger not only for yourself, but for the other vehicles on the road as well, and you could be fined 200 francs if stopped by police while driving a car.

But in a typical Swiss fashion, you can’t use just any products to de-ice the car, as the government specifies they must “respect the environment”. 

The Federal Office for the Environment lists the ingredients that should be used for defrosting purposes — and ones that shouldn’t.

READ MORE: Six Swiss driving rules you may not know about — but should

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WEATHER

IN PICTURES: ‘Exceptional’ Sahara dust cloud hits Europe

An "exceptional" dust cloud from the Sahara is choking parts of Europe, the continent's climate monitor said on Monday, causing poor air quality and coating windows and cars in grime.

Published: 8 April 2024 14:15 CEST
IN PICTURES: 'Exceptional' Sahara dust cloud hits Europe

Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service said the latest plume, the third of its kind in recent weeks, was bringing hazy conditions to southern Europe and would sweep northward as far as Scandinavia.

Mark Parrington, senior scientist at Copernicus, said the latest event was related to a weather pattern that has brought warmer weather to parts of Europe in recent days.

“While it is not unusual for Saharan dust plumes to reach Europe, there has been an increase in the intensity and frequency of such episodes in recent years, which could be potentially attributed to changes in atmospheric circulation patterns,” he said.

This latest episode has caused air quality to deteriorate in several countries, Copernicus said.

The European Union’s safe threshold for concentrations of PM10 — coarser particles like sand and dust that that can irritate the nose and throat — has already been exceeded in some locations.

A picture taken on April 8, 2024 shows a rapeseed field under thick sand dust blown in from the Sahara, giving the sky a yellowish appearance near Daillens, western Switzerland. – An “exceptional” dust cloud from the Sahara is choking parts of Europe, the continent’s climate monitor said, causing poor air quality and coating windows and cars in grime. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP)

The worst affected was the Iberian Peninsula in Spain but lesser air pollution spikes were also recorded in parts of Switzerland, France and Germany.

READ ALSO:

Local authorities in southeastern and southern France announced that the air pollution threshold was breached on Saturday.

They advised residents to avoid intense physical activity, particularly those with heart or respiratory problems.

The dust outbreak was expected to reach Sweden, Finland and northwest Russia before ending on Tuesday with a shift in weather patterns, Copernicus said.

The Sahara emits between 60 and 200 million tonnes of fine dust every year, which can travel thousands of kilometres (miles), carried by winds and certain meteorological conditions.

The Spanish Canary Islands off the coast of northwest Africa saw just 12 days within a 90-day period from December to February where skies were free of Saharan dust, the local weather agency Aemet had reported.

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