Driving assistance systems
The Federal Council today approved an amendment to the Vienna Convention on International Road Traffic. This concerns the rules on driver assistance systems. The adaptation will ensure that the convention is compliant with rapidly advancing technical regulations.
Today, driver assistance systems are often already part of the basic equipment of modern vehicles and take over tasks of the vehicle driver. In the meantime, test drives and pilot projects are also Fully automated driving examined worldwide. The amendment to the Vienna Convention on International Road Traffic approved by the Federal Council aims to ensure that driver assistance systems that actively take over part of the driver's control tasks are also legal in principle and comply with the Vienna Convention. However, the responsibility remains with the drivers: they must control their vehicles at all times in such a way that they do not endanger other road users.
With these adaptations, the Vienna Agreement is consistent with the 1958 Agreement on Technical Regulations, and a clause also ensures the conformity of future driver assistance systems, provided they meet the required conditions.
Another adjustment concerns license plates. In the future, it will be possible to use only letters on license plates in international traffic. In some countries, license plates with letters only are already in circulation. However, this adaptation will not affect the design of Swiss license plates.
Press release Federal Roads Office
