do NOT speed in switzerland

I was driving my Masearti the morning down the freeway just cruising along. I would say the sweet spot is about 90 in that car where everything just feels right. In the 458 its more like 100 - 110. It just feels best there. Any less and its a bit too low on the RPM range for 7th to feel just right.

These cars go so fast you do not know you are speeding if there isn't traffic around to judge against.

It's not the top speed that gets you in trouble. No one goes 200 mph on the freeway. It's driving in their normal comfort zone that gets you the big ticket.

 

I think taking it in stride is an understatement!

My initial thought was that the police were trying to milk every last cent from the driver of a flashy red Ferrari, but it seems everyone is given "equal treatment".

Well, during my next visit to Switzerland I'll be travelling by train.

 

Sorry to hear about this Ross - thats just crazy.

Since you arent likely to be driving the F40 want to pass it around over here a while - just to keep it running of course....I can keep it in my garage and everything!!!




PDG

 

Switzerland is a communist country pretending to a democracy, in addition to draconian speed limit enforcement, incredibly high cost of living, it has some of the most ridiculous rules....Honestly, while Switzerland does have beautiful scenery and driving roads you can't enjoy them because you spend all your time checking your speedometer.

 

well, not too bad ... the basic rules are the same all over the world...

while taking a shower, better don`t bend over to pick up your soap ...

 

Deviating from the topic a bit, but if you live out of the country and get nailed by one of the speed cameras while in a rental car, how long does it take before your ticket(s) arrives?

Reason I ask is because a friend of mine and I traveled from Frankfurt to Modena and back just over a year ago, passing through Switzerland and have yet to receive any tickets. Knocking on wood and am grateful nothing has arrived so far....just genuinely surprised we didn't get caught for anything.

 

I grew up in Switzerland and left at age 17 for US. Switzerland is an absolute joke. Most beautiful place to visit then get the hell out. Everything the op said is true. They have become a charade.

 

It can easily take a year or more.
An American friend of mine from Atlanta/GA was caught speeding in a Swiss tunnel with his Italian registered rental car and more than one year later Swiss court sent him the ticket. He sent it to me and I paid for it as he could not make the payment from USA to the Swiss court. The Italian rental car company had released his name and address to the Swiss court.

Marcel Massini
Zurich, Switzerland

 

I can answer your question from personal and direct experience (5 times, no less).

Fastest ticket arrived 11 months after the infraction, longest 27 months after the infraction.

I accumulated 4 of the tickets before the first arrived, the 5th after because I was not fully concentrating on sticking rigidly to speed limit after a full day of heavy meetings -- 98 in an 80 limit.

The longest one took so long because the car had been sold on twice after I got the ticket and they still found me.

At the time I was living in Modena and it was an Italian registered company car.

Luckily they were all fixed penalties. €170 each pop if memory serves me correctly.

As a non-resident of CH you don't *have* to pay but there can be consequences if you don't pay.

 

Be careful Marcel!

Everyone will be sending their swiss speeding fines for you to pay!!

Drove in Switzerland and around Zurich many times with no hitch.

Try driving undercover in a Subaru Imprezza - works for me!

Regards

Jong

 

Wat happens if you get a ticket in CH and you don't pay it? Is it like the US where a warrant is issued for your arrest?

 

Years ago in Italy different classes of cars were rated fro different speeds. Alas we are dealing with the lowest common denominator of car and driver speed limit.

Funny how you can easily go fast with the flow of traffic, but if you are on a deserted road odd are you will get stopped.

Growing up and driving in South Africa with great open roads was one of life's great driving pleasures. Trips took way less time and were way more fun. Every weekend I went waterskiing 100kms away, my speed on the open road was never less than 200kmsphr. the rule was drive slow in towns traffic etc, and open up on the open road. Great fun.

 

I had one show up 18 Months later from New Zealand. There was alsoa note saying I was at a NZ points limit so should not speed there anytime in the following 2 years. Have not been back in 5 years so i guess its Ok.

Apparently if you go over 160kms in NZ thye arrest you and impound the car.

 

"...Swiss court does not accept payment from US..." seems a bit strange for any court to refuse payment... must be somethng else going on...

if the situation is as simple as stated, then the refusal would be considered "paid"...they did not want to accept it... the citation is no longer valid...

 

this is just so ridiculous. many cars are made to cruise at 200kph all day long, easily. i'll never understand why it's taken so seriously when you are away from a crowded population.

 

Shouldn't everybody be equal?

Do you support indexing for food as well?

I guess being equal before the law means different things to different people.

Kai

 

Sorry to hear what happened to OP. This sounds really familiar to what we have here in Finland, tickets are indexed based on previous years income that has led to insane six figure tickets to those who have had nice previous year. Having driven in Switzerland once I can say that the police seem's to be everywhere and from friends experience their law seems to have longest arms.

 

When I was just a punk teenager (compared to being a punk middle ager now), I heard a rumor that if you received a ticket for, let's say, $100, and you pled guilty and sent in a check for $105, you'd get a refund of $5. If you never cashed the refund, then the ticket couldn't be processed and it would never show up on your license or your insurance. Of course I tried this, and of course it was false - they never even sent me the change! LOL! But perhaps it's the case in Switzerland? ...or, perhaps, I'm still just as naive as I was 15 years ago.

 

My favorite place for driving is Thailand. I have been stopped for speeding there a few times but just a small bribe is required and carry on...

This is an admirable system but does have its faults. Its OK when people do their speeding in a responsible way but when people drive like idiots or drunk and kill people (as in the case of the heir to Red Bull in his FF) its not so nice.

 

the solution for speed cameras is simple... protest... especially when their locations are known or posted... DON"T SPEED ... ( it will take a lot of restraint from all )...

speed cameras are expensive and often involve revenue sharing... their manufacturers often supply the equipment on a deferred payment plan to the govt... no revenue means no payment, means the manufacturers and govt can't support the equipment without revenue

in the US red light cameras have been removed for the lack of revenue... it appears the timing of red light sequencing has been tampered with in many areas, making it appear a car is crossing against a red light when in reality it was still legal... when the timing is set to pre approved sequence the revenue drops off and can no longer support the equipment...

just wondering, has there been any challange to the speed camera accuracy or any indication of tampering to gain increased revenue...

 

Yes! The police presence was very apparent I felt.

Small anecdote from my trip last year:

Leaving Germany we stopped at a border crossing to purchase a vignette to drive through Switzerland. It felt like driving into a fortress. Plenty of armed guards and dogs searching and keeping eyes on everyone.

Crossing into Italy, I expected the same thing. As we drove to the gates there were three Italian border guards. Two were sitting in chairs and one was standing. They were all facing each other, laughing and having a grand old time. The one standing was waving everyone through, no passport checks.

Talk about a culture difference!

 

... France is nothing like Switzerland when it comes to enforcement, your story is plausible but doubt he was just a few miles over the limit. As for "naiing it" in France, guess who regularly speeds on the french highways - the Swiss!!

My personal experience is that French speed camera tickets never make it back to you if you reside outside of the EU, I have been flashed for speeding many times with rentals and leased cars and never have had to pay, even nailed with my parents' cars who got the PV in the mail, and returned it saying that I driving and provided address in the US. Nothing came of it.

The only time I've actually had to pay in the 25+ years was when I was pulled over doing 172 in a 110 (nothing too excessive), showed them my Texas drivers license and US passport (it's good to have dual citizenship and pretended not to understand French. At first they (3 Gendarmes) were a little peeved but with some humor and lots of nodding I paid a small cash fine (by US standards) and was on my way after a collegial photo op with my three new buddies Having lived in South America and Africa (and paid off a fair share of speeding tickets there) I am sure that the cash would have been promptly distributed between the three amigos, but France is a little more strict about these behaviors...

 

What is the traffic like in the city? Civilized, or chaotic like India, Pakistan etc.? How was the car culture, any car guys to be spotted?

A close friend loves his Thailand visits, I could perhaps visit the country with him some day.

I would LOVED to drive in South Africa some day as well! They are blessed with truly stunning nature...

 

Wow. That's ridiculous. Sorry to hear about that. Such bull****.

I guess in theory a law could stipulate percentage based penalties like they do with taxes, however I find such use in this case to be grossly abused.

How on Earth is it that Swiss people don't stand up to the kind of thing?