Speeding in Switzerland UK Liscence

[Mixapt]

Hello,
I have been Flashed at 125MPH (200km/h) in a Switzerland Motorway where the Speed Limit is 75MPH (120km/h). I was driving an English car and i have a UK license.
Do you know what I risk ? Can Switzerland authorities take out points from my uk driving license ?

Many Thanks for you answers.

[mcflurry]

They will give you a free Toblerone

[Vesuvius 996]

Mixapt said:

Hello,
I have been Flashed at 125MPH (200km/h) in a Switzerland Motorway where the Speed Limit is 75MPH (120km/h). I was driving an English car and i have a UK license.
Do you know what I risk ? Can Switzerland authorities take out points from my uk driving license ?

Many Thanks for you answers.

A very serious risk of prison, if you go back there, plus....

Swiss authorities said:

Speed limits: 120 km/h on motorways, 80 km/h on normal roads and 50 km/h inside villages. Whilst driving "a wee bit too fast" is common on motorways people tend to stick pretty closely to the other two limits. Fines are hefty and traffic rules are strictly enforced.
Travel Warning

WARNING: If you get fined but not stopped (e.g. caught by a Speed Camera) the police will send you the fine even if you live abroad. In Switzerland, speeding is not a violation of a traffic code but a Legal Offence, if you fail to comply there is a good chance that an international rogatory will be issued and you have to go to court in your home country.

Also, starting from 2007, Switzerland banned all GPS appliances with built-in speed cameras databases as they are equiped with "Radar Detectors".

According to some GPS navigator producers, it is advised to remove the Swiss radar database while driving in the country as the police may give you a fine and impound your device even if is turned off and placed in the trunk of your vehicle!

Edited by Vesuvius 996 on Monday 29th September 16:14

[Roop]

Depends where it was in Switzerland. Here in Swiss Romande they will cut you some slack but if you take the piss they will clack a couple of bricks round your pods. Elsewhere they aren't so lenient.

Not sure what will happen TBH but they take it pretty seriously. Assumign you hear nothing, I'd not bother returning to CH in that car (or at all actually) for a good 5 years.

[Mixapt]

I was going from Geneva to Lausanne.
But what will basically happen ? I will receive a letter from them here in England ?

[Vesuvius 996]

Mixapt said:

I was going from Geneva to Lausanne.
But what will basically happen ? I will receive a letter from them here in England ?

Yes.

As below, they will pursue it. Fines are pretty scary. If you go back there you could well be pulled up on it at the airport.

The Swiss HATE speeding.

[EU_Foreigner]

120 km in a 80 tunnel was 1000 sfr + 1 month ban for a friend of mine.

[krallicious]

As pointed out previously, the fines are astronomical if taking the piss as well as jail. I've been flashed a few times here (all on the motorways) in my English registared car and have heard nothing. All the offences took place over 2 years ago and I have been stopped numerous times whilst crossing the boarder. Just to add though, I've never been caught doing more than 20kph over the limit.

The waiting begins.

Edited by krallicious on Monday 29th September 16:28

Edited by krallicious on Monday 29th September 16:29

[Vesuvius 996]

So

1. Wait
2. Don't go back to Switzerland

[krallicious]

Vesuvius 996 said:

So

1. Wait
2. Don't go back to Switzerland

I meant for the OP. I live in Switzerland now

[Roop]

Mixapt said:

I was going from Geneva to Lausanne.
But what will basically happen ? I will receive a letter from them here in England ?

At least you did it in the right place. I went by a camera Lausanne to Geneva at 20kph over the limit in my UK registered car. Flashed. Heard nothing.

[sleep envy]

Vesuvius 996 said:

Mixapt said:

I was going from Geneva to Lausanne.
But what will basically happen ? I will receive a letter from them here in England ?

Yes.

As below, they will pursue it. Fines are pretty scary. If you go back there you could well be pulled up on it at the airport.

The Swiss HATE speeding.

well, I've been flashed by Swiss cameras and have also been stopped at the borders in the same car and in different cars all with the same registration

I have never received a letter, I have never been fined, I have never visited the plod shop

unlikely that you'll hear anything, if you do bin the letter

it's also highly unlikely you'll get done for it at the border either even if you are stopped in the future

[Mixapt]

Ok, but does anyone ever received a letter, fine from switzerland in UK ?

[catso]

Mixapt said:

Ok, but does anyone ever received a letter, fine from switzerland in UK ?

I didn't receive anything after being flashed in motorway tunnel about 3 years ago. I can't imagine it's worth contacting a foreigner regarding the offence but I suppose they might 'look out' for you in future.

[Mixapt]

And how long do you think it should normally take to receive news from them ? More clearly, After how long do you think i won't receive anything.
Thanks

[Mr Trophy]

Why are they so big on speeding? They sound worse than the UK.

[flemke]

I speak from my usual position of complete ignorance, but a few things come to mind:

- Is there a UK/Swiss or EU/Swiss treaty obliging a British court to pursue the matter? They're not going to bother just to be cooperative.
- How would the Swiss demonstrate that the RK was the driver? Under Swiss law, is the RK responsible for whatever is done in his car?
- Until the RK is contacted by the Swiss authorities, nothing else is going to happen. Therefore, he should wait until (if) he hears from them before speculating on his fate. In all probability, the DVLA will, however, give the Swiss the RK's details, should they be requested.

[herewego]

Mr Trophy said:

Why are they so big on speeding? They sound worse than the UK.

Well obviously it's a money making scam, what other reason could there be. MPs pensions, policemen's doughnuts etc., the usual logic.

[chandrew]

herewego said:

Mr Trophy said:

Why are they so big on speeding? They sound worse than the UK.

Well obviously it's a money making scam, what other reason could there be. MPs pensions, policemen's doughnuts etc., the usual logic.

Switzerland is remarkably speed-camera free compared to many other countries but the motorways are an exception. If you look at the speeding cars on a Swiss motorway they're almost exclusively foreigners. Unfortunately the place the OP was on is a camera hot-spot, partly due to the numerous pile-ups.

Part of the avoidance of speed is certainly the very high cost of punishment (seriously upsetting fines, driving bans and a likely prison stay if you're being silly) but it's also the law abiding culture. It wouldn't be too uncommon for someone to report you if you're speeding excessively. This law-abiding nature is partly due to the strong democratic nature of the society - if they don't like something they can bring it to a referendum. So given they have a much direct greater say in the laws than other places they tend to abide by rules.

There is a fixed set of fines on the motorway. I know that this is in French but you should get the idea:

Sur autoroutes :

Dépassement de la vitesse autorisée 1 à 5 km/h = 20 CHF (13 EUR)
Dépassement de la vitesse autorisée 6 à 10 km/h = 60 CHF (39 EUR)
Dépassement de la vitesse autorisée 11 à 15 km/h = 120 CHF (78 EUR)
Dépassement de la vitesse autorisée 16 à 20 km/h = 180 CHF (117 EUR)
Dépassement de la vitesse autorisée 21 à 24 km/h = 260 CHF (169 EUR)
Dépassement de la vitesse autorisée 25 à 30 km/h = 400 CHF (260 EUR)
Dépassement de la vitesse autorisée 31 à 35 km/h = 600 CHF (390 EUR)
Dépassement de la vitesse autorisée 36 à 40 km/h = 800 CHF (520 EUR)
Dépassement de la vitesse autorisée 41 à 45 km/h = mini 1.000 CHF (650 EUR) + 3 jours d'emprisonnement
Dépassement de la vitesse autorisée 46 à 50 km/h = mini 1.200 CHF (780 EUR) + 5 jours d'emprisonnement
Dépassement de la vitesse autorisée 51 à 55 km/h = mini 1.400 CHF (910 EUR) + 8 jours d'emprisonnement
Dépassement de la vitesse autorisée 56 à 60 km/h = mini 1.600 CHF (1.040 EUR) + 10 jours d'emprisonnement
Dépassement de la vitesse autorisée > 60 km/h = jugement au tribunal pénal.

At 180+ km/h the fine is income / wealth related. The maximum prison sentence for speeding is 3 years.

[EU_Foreigner]

One of the few countries I don't go mad in. 130 km/h on the motorway on cruise is fine (not much different to what I do in the UK).

Then you get to the mountains over there where it is really playtime which more then makes up for the speedlimits elsewhere ...