We all always complain about how expensive life is in Germany, but a look at our neighbors in Switzerland shows that it could be much worse. There are strict traffic regulations there, which mean a high risk of fines, especially for vacationers.
According to several reports, a 58-year-old BMW driver Swiss media now experienced in a painful way. He was sentenced to a fine of over 100.000 euros for tailgating on the highway. But how did this come about?
Heavy penalty for highway tailgaters
The incident occurred in March 2023 on the A1 in the canton of Aargau. There, the BMW driver was filmed by the police driving at 120 km/h over a distance of two kilometers and massively undercutting the safety distance to the vehicle in front. In some cases the distance was only eight to twelve meters, although at 120 km/h at least 60 meters are required. The public prosecutor therefore spoke of a "high abstract Risk of accident".
Annual income determines the penalty
The driver did not accept the penalty order, so the case went to the District Court. There he was found guilty and fined 50 daily rates of 1970 Swiss francs each sentenced. This results in a total of 98.500 Swiss francs, which is equivalent to about 105.000 euros. The penalty was calculated based on annual income, which is expected to be around 1,7 million Swiss francs (about 1,8 million euros).
However, the high penalty will only due then, if he is within the next 24 months if caught again for a similar offence. In addition, the court imposed an immediate payment Connecting buses of 15.000 Swiss francs (about 16.000 euros). But he did not want to accept the verdict and appealed. He argued that he had not been sufficiently informed of his rights and that, even if the car in front of him had braked suddenly, he would have been able to avoid the accident thanks to the BMW sports brakes could have stopped in time.
Definitely an expensive affair
The High Court was unimpressed by these arguments and confirmed the District Court’s ruling. Only the connecting bus service was 10.000 Swiss Francs The additional Procedural costs of 5000 francs However, he remains at the actual amount. For the BMW driver, this means: In the next two years, he should definitely keep a safe distance – otherwise a fine of over 100.000 euros could be due.
