Record fine?

n Switzerland a Swedish man has set what is thought to be a world record, for the largest speeding fine ever. In Switzerland driving penalties are set in proportion to the offender's income and the fine was over e791,000. The man was driving his high performance Mercedes SLS on the A12 highway between Berne and Lausanne when he was stopped by police for exceeding the speed limit. He was driving the e170,000 car at speeds of up to 300km/h, somewhat in excess of Switzerland's maximum 120km/h limit and the pol
February 22, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
In Switzerland a Swedish man has set what is thought to be a world record, for the largest speeding fine ever. In Switzerland driving penalties are set in proportion to the offender's income and the fine was over e791,000. The man was driving his high performance Mercedes SLS on the A12 highway between Berne and Lausanne when he was stopped by police for exceeding the speed limit. He was driving the e170,000 car at speeds of up to 300km/h, somewhat in excess of Switzerland's maximum 120km/h limit and the police were less than impressed by the man's need for such haste. This is also the highest speed ever recorded on a Swiss highway, although it is an estimate (based on his time between various points on the highway) as the country's speed cameras only read accurately up to 192km/h. The man claimed that the speedometer on the car was faulty and said he was unaware that he was exceeding the limit. The Swiss authorities were unimpressed with his excuse, aware that the German made Mercedes vehicles are known for their reliability as well as the accuracy of their instrumentation.

Related Content

  • Swiss Government plans more flexible motorway speed limits
    January 21, 2014
    The Swiss Government may extend the use of flexible speed limits, which apply only at certain times, on motorways. In future flexible speed limits could affect 450kms of the country’s motorway network, up from 170kms now. The Government believes that this would lead to a better use of road capacities. Studies have shown that when people drive more slowly they leave smaller gaps between their vehicles and the ones in front. This improves efficiency. According to current plans, the maximum speed will be redu
    Read More
  • High speed mobility
    September 26, 2013
    A group of automotive enthusiasts in the UK hope to set a new world land speed record, with a mobility scooter. Powered by a 600cc motorcycle engine the mobility scooter is now thought to be able to reach some 192km/h, around 15 times as fast as a conventional mobility scooter. Official timed runs have yet to be made for the record to be set. The rules call for two timed speed runs to be made within one hour with the record being an average of the two. However the group believe their mobility scooter will e
    Read More
  • Slick character
    February 24, 2015
    Police in Poland managed to stop a 29-year-old male driver after a 30km high speed pursuit. The BMW driver hit speeds as high as 260km/h (162.5mph) in his bid to elude his pursuers. When the traffic officers inspected the vehicle they realised the car’s rear tyres were so worn they had no tread remaining, and immediately impounded the dangerous vehicle along with arresting the offender. The man was from Krosno Odrzanskie in the west of Poland and close to the border with Germany. Unlike Germany however, Pol
    Read More
  • The GRSF: breaking down barriers
    December 17, 2020
    Improving road safety can be expensive, especially for low- to middle-income countries. The Global Road Safety Facility has been working hard to alleviate the situation
    Read More

Highlighted Content