End of crosswind?
11/29/2017
The last "Crosswind" warning signal is to disappear from Zurich's streets and will soon be removed, as was reported yesterday in the Tages Anzeiger newspaper.
At first you are surprised that you never noticed that there are hardly any such signals left (in Switzerland), apparently they have been removed step by step.
In the sixties and seventies they were still often seen, and cars were much more sensitive to crosswinds than they are today. Anyone who has ever driven a Beetle through gusts of wind knows what we are talking about here. The Swiss justification for removing these signals has to do with the forest of signs that would have to be tackled. However, many a plagued driver would think of other signs (with numbers on them) that would perhaps be better removed beforehand, because the density of prohibitions/restrictions on today's roads is indeed enormous.
Incidentally, the airbags are not to be removed in Switzerland, as they are certainly a much more impressive warning against gusts of wind than the static signs. But even so, a piece of traffic history is disappearing. Incidentally, there are said to be only eleven accidents per year throughout Switzerland due to crosswinds/gusts...
P.S. The picture above is a montage, so it's not the last crosswind warning sign on Zurich's roads...
