Unregulated Situation
Sven Meier
Driving instructor and president of the Zug Traffic School
Who doesn’t know a SchlauMeier? However, a SchlauMeier is by no means just a know-it-all, but a person who convinces with well thought-out contributions and understandable explanations and thus enriches his environment.
This is precisely the intention of Sven Meier, driving instructor and president of the Zug traffic school, in this multifaceted column.
A quiet intersection somewhere in Switzerland. No traffic lights, no stop sign, no markings—just an intersection, three cars, and a whole lot of confusion. So, who gets to go?
The Starting Point
An “unregulated situation” occurs when vehicles meet at an intersection that has no traffic signs or markings to indicate right of way. So: no stop sign, no yield sign, no road markings—just the sacred rule of priority to the right. Sounds simple?
Let’s take a classic example with three vehicles: a white car, a red car, and a blue car meet at such an intersection. The white car wants to turn left, the red car is directly opposite, and the blue car is to the left of the white car (see image). And now, the dance begins:
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The driver of the white car thinks: “I don’t have anyone coming from the right, but I want to turn left, so I have to watch out for oncoming traffic—the red car.”
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The driver of the red car thinks: “I’ve got the blue car to my right—I don’t have the right of way.”
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The driver of the blue car thinks: “I’ve got the white car to my right—I can’t go either.”
Working Out the Solution
So now what? Now comes the fine art of “communicating with hand signals.” Not wild gesturing or nervous nodding, but a friendly yet firm wave: “You go ahead.” But to whom?
If you’re in the white car, the answer is: to the blue car. Even if the red car seems more likable, or you know the driver from the neighborhood BBQ—it doesn’t matter. The reason lies in the priority to the right rule: If you give way to the red car, it still can’t go because the blue car is on its right. Only if you let the blue car go can the knot untangle. The blue car goes, then the red, and then—finally—you.
Simple, right? Or maybe not. Because not every road user has read this NEWS article (though they definitely should). And not everyone realizes that in such situations, you sometimes have to think for others, too.
My Conclusion
So here’s my appeal to everyone: Eyes open, hand ready, and bring your patience! And if someone starts a little early or waits a bit too long, just smile, wave, and keep going. With a dash of kindness, even an unregulated situation can become a small symphony of teamwork.
