Motorist Gets 'World's Largest' Speeding Fine In Switzerland

In Switzerland, a joyride could set you back almost $1 million.

That's a lesson one Swedish motorist learned the hard way last Friday, when he was slapped with a staggering fine of between $835,000 to $962,000 after being clocked doing 180 mph on a Swiss highway, according to reports.

Authorities say the gargantuan fine -- reported to be the world's largest -- is due to Switzerland's unusual traffic laws, which calculate fines on both the severity of the offense and the offender's income level. Though police could not confirm whether or not the driver's speed was a record, they "have no record of anyone being caught traveling faster in the country," a police spokesman told the Daily Telegraph

Swiss police also impounded the 37-year-old motorist's black Mercedes SLS AMG, worth $240,000, as well as his driver's license upon his release from custody. The driver, who was traveling between Bern and Lausanne, has since defended himself by saying he thought "the [speedometer] on the car, which was new, was faulty."

Comments

[ljmck]

05:14 PM on 08/21/2010

That's a system of fines I could get all warm and fuzzy about.

[BayouIvyMan]

03:15 PM on 08/21/2010

I agree with a previous poster: He could have tested the cars capabilities on a nearby German autobahn with no risk. That is what I would have done.

[ghee99]

02:33 PM on 08/20/2010

ah, the joys of socialism

[kalital]

11:04 AM on 08/21/2010

Switzerland? Socialist? What planet do you live on?

[PeterOregon]

03:03 PM on 08/21/2010

People in America don't understand the word socialism and are ignorant of Europe. To think the home of Calvin and hard-eyed bankers is a socialist society is ridiculous.

[Ramkshrestha]

06:20 AM on 08/20/2010

That means before to start to drive in Switzerland first you must be at least millionaire.

[Morgantheaxe]

10:02 PM on 08/20/2010

Ummm no, it said the fine scales based on a persons wealth. Good law. Makes it sting for rich folks not just the poor.

[Hirnlego]

10:15 PM on 08/18/2010

So it is Swiss or Swedish? I'm confused.

[Hirnlego]

10:19 PM on 08/18/2010

never mind..

[Hirnlego]

10:20 PM on 08/18/2010

Good law..

[cgeorgan]

04:04 PM on 08/18/2010

I think that the worlds smartest people should get the biggest smackdowns when they're wrong. Logically, it follows from this Swedish concept.

[GeoNorth]

03:01 PM on 08/18/2010

In 1996, my wife and I were traveling to Loudon, NH for the big NASCAR event. I was stopped on I-89 for doing 80 in a 65 zone. The officer asked me where I was going. I relied,"To the races." He smiled, stifling a laugh. He handed me my license and registration back and told me to drive slower. Irony works.

[cgeorgan]

04:05 PM on 08/18/2010

That line of reasoning didn't work for me a few years ago when I was returning from Windsor, Ontario via the Michigan border. When asked where I was coming from, I responded with "Canada". This was followed promptly by a "car inspection".

[ebroadcast]

04:47 PM on 08/18/2010

I think its kind of obvious what the difference there was in stories that prompted the search.

[picaman]

12:43 PM on 08/18/2010

D-Bag

[blackhole2008]

12:32 PM on 08/18/2010

What were the police driving?

[deepintheheartoftejas]

08:16 PM on 08/17/2010

A few years ago, Nokia's CEO was busted in Sweden for driving about 20mph over the speed limit, and got a fine of about $36,000.

[BrooklynChef]

03:07 PM on 08/17/2010

OK, so I'm all for fast driving when the kid and wife aren't in the car, but 180? Is pretty excessive

[anothervoice]

09:27 AM on 08/17/2010

That's right.

The speedometers on bleeding-edge, technologically advanced, brand new, quarter-million dollar Mercedes' are often inaccurate....

He was probably only doing 155.

[cgeorgan]

04:07 PM on 08/18/2010

The electronic speedometer on my old 911 Turbo did not keep up with the acceleration, and the analog speedometer was the shape of a quarter circle and contained every speed between 0 and 200 in the space of 2 inches. I'd personally rather be watching the road at that speed...

[Travis bdboy]

06:47 AM on 08/17/2010

A faulty speedometer?....the first clue for him should be the trees you're looking at a a wee bit blurry.

[netzwerg]

08:22 AM on 08/17/2010

C'mon, it was a badass Mercedes Benz SLS AMG http://www.automobil-blog.de/wp-content/uploads/Autos/Mercedes/Mercedes_SLS_AMG/Mercedes_SLS_AMG_590.jpg

You can't blame him.
:D

[Upside]

06:53 PM on 08/18/2010

The Swiss government apparently can.

[jasev01]

03:16 PM on 08/16/2010

I wish they had these type of laws in the US. It would be more fair.

[cgeorgan]

04:08 PM on 08/18/2010

As soon as they start enforcing the "Left lane for passing only" rule.

[Upside]

06:54 PM on 08/18/2010

And how about the old, "using the turn signal when changing lanes" rule while you're at it.

[ksully]

02:07 PM on 08/16/2010

I'm sure that car begs to be driven fast.

[Upside]

06:54 PM on 08/18/2010

Much like that driver was begging to get a speeding ticket.