Traffic regulations and important information
Maximum authorized dimensions and weight
- Height: 4.00 m
- Width: 2.55 m
- Maximum weight: 40 tonnes
Ban on night-driving and driving on Sundays
HGVs are not allowed to drive on Sundays and the following public holidays: New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Ascension Day, Whit Monday, 1 August, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, if Christmas Day does not fall on a Monday or Friday. If one of these public holidays is not celebrated in a particular canton or part of a canton, the ban on driving on Sundays does not apply there.
The ban on night-driving applies from 22h00 to 05h00.
Hazardous materials
The transportation of hazardous materials through the tunnel is subject to further restrictions. The relevant provisions may be found in the ordinance of 29 November 2002 on the road transportation of hazardous materials (appendix 2, SDR 2007/08) (for additional information consult http://www.astra.admin.ch/themen/schwerverkehr/00246/index.html?lang=de)
Exceptional loads
The website www.sonderbewilligungen.ch contains information on special permits for exceptional vehicles /convoys, special permits for driving on Sundays and at night, and exceptional permits for driving through the tunnel with hazardous goods.
Winter equipment
The law does not mention winter tyres and does not expressly require winter tyres to be fitted.
However, what is required is for vehicles to be in perfect working order; in the case of tyres this means that equipment must be appropriate to the weather conditions.
"Vehicles may not use the road unless they are in perfect working order and meet all legal requirements. They must be built and maintained in such a way that traffic rules and regulations can be complied with.” (Article 29, SVG)
"Drivers must remain in control of their vehicle at all times, so as to be able to meet the requirements imposed by the duty of care" (Art.31, SVG)
In the light of the above general rule it is clear that drivers are responsible for fitting the type of tyre appropriate to weather conditions.
Snow chains are compulsory only where this is expressly indicated.
Transit charges
Since 1985 driving on Swiss federal roads with motor vehicles and trailers of up to 3.5 t has been subject to the payment of a tax. The directorate general of customs has been charged with levying this tax, which is paid by purchasing a vignette.
The price of the vignette is 40 Swiss francs. If it is purchased at a customs office it can also be paid for in foreign currency (bank notes only). Change is given in Swiss francs.
Driving on category 1 and 2 federal roads without a valid vignette or with a fraudulently used vignette is sanctioned by a fine of 200 Swiss francs.
http://www.ezv.admin.ch/zollinfo_privat/informationen/00421/index.html?lang=de
HGV traffic
The performance-dependent heavy vehicle fee (HVF) is a federal tax calculated in accordance with the total weight, emissions category, and number of kilometres travelled in Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein
It is payable by all motor vehicles, and trailers with a maximum permissible weight of more than 3.5 tonnes, which are used to transport goods, are registered either in Switzerland or abroad, and use the Swiss public road network.
http://www.ezv.admin.ch/zollinfo_privat/informationen/02262/index.html?lang=de