Skip to main content

Switzerland expands flexible speed limits

The Swiss department for roads, Astra, is to expand its flexible speed limit systems. It already runs flexible speed limits on the approach to the Baregg tunnel and on the Zurich western bypass, but it is planning to expand this to include whole routes, such as the motorway between Zurich and Bern or Geneva and Lausanne.
June 19, 2013 Read time: 1 min

The Swiss department for roads, Astra, is to expand its flexible speed limit systems. It already runs flexible speed limits on the approach to the Baregg tunnel and on the Zurich western bypass, but it is planning to expand this to include whole routes, such as the motorway between Zurich and Bern or Geneva and Lausanne.

The system uses sensors which measure the volume of traffic, and if the number of cars reaches a certain level, the system can either lower the speed limit itself automatically or alert a traffic control centre.

Astra emphasised that it was important that this took place before the volume of traffic leads to a traffic jam. The capacity of the roads is the greatest when cars travel at a constant speed of 85 km/h. Astra is also using other congestion reduction measures, such as using the hard shoulder as an additional lane, and banning lorries from overtaking in certain areas.

Related Content

  • Roadside monitoring used to target non-compliant trucks
    March 9, 2016
    The UK’s DVSA is utilising existing technology to identify non-compliant commercial vehicles and target repeat offenders while avoiding law-abiding companies. Enforcing the compliance of commercial vehicles (goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes and vehicles with eight or more passenger seats) on the UK’s roads is the responsibility of the DVSA (the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency). The Department for Transport created the executive agency about 18 months ago by merging the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) and t
  • Yutraffic awareAI deployed in Swiss capital
    January 29, 2025
    City of Bern’s project involves installation at two traffic light systems
  • UK prime minister criticises 'hare-brained' 20mph limit
    October 2, 2023
    15-minute city concept also under attack as ruling Conservative party seeks poll boost
  • ‘Motorway drivers putting their own and others’ lives at risk’ - IAM
    May 11, 2015
    The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has discovered that more than 40 per cent of all motorway and major A road lane closures in England in 2014 were caused by 185,457 vehicle breakdowns, 40,192 of which were in a ‘live lane’ i.e., a lane with other moving traffic around it vehicle breakdowns. The information came from a Freedom of Information (FOI) request from the IAM, which asked for the number of incidences of lane closures on roads managed by Highways England in 2014. In total there were 44