Latest news with #Vaud
CNN
6 days ago
- CNN
A driver faces up to $110,000 in fines for speeding on a Swiss street. But he can afford it
The driver was clocked going 27 kilometers per hour (17 mph) over the speed limit on a street in the Swiss city of Lausanne, and now he's facing up to 90,000 Swiss francs (over $110,000) in fines as a result. But he can afford it. Why the eye-popping penalty? Because the speedster, a repeat offender, is one of Switzerland's wealthiest people, and the Vaud canton, or region, serves up fines based on factors like income, fortune or general family financial situation. The Swiss are not alone. Germany, France, Austria and the Nordic countries all issue punishments based on a person's wealth. The recent fine isn't even a record in Switzerland. In 2010, a millionaire Ferrari driver got a ticket equal to about $290,000 for speeding in the eastern canton of St. Gallen. Back then, the Swiss safety group Road Cross said rich drivers had been lightly punished until voters approved a penal law overhaul three years earlier that let judges hand down fines based on personal income and wealth for misdemeanors like speeding and drunk driving. Under today's rules, an indigent person might spend a night in jail instead of a fine, while the wealthiest in the rich Alpine country could be on the hook for tens of thousands. A court in the Swiss canton of Vaud recently ruled that the tycoon must pay 10,000 Swiss francs ($12,300) up front and could be forced to pay the rest – 80,000 more – if he's caught for a similar roadway infraction over the next three years. Switzerland's '24 Heures' newspaper first reported the case and said the man, who was not identified, was a French citizen listed by Swiss economic weekly Bilan among the 300 richest people in Switzerland – with a fortune in the hundreds of millions of dollars. The daily reported that an automated police radar photographed the offender driving at 77 kilometers per hour (48 mph) in a 50 kph (31 mph) zone on a Lausanne street. A quick-calculating prosecutor tallied the maximum fine the driver faced under the law, the report said. Vincent Derouand, a spokesperson for the Vaud public prosecutors office, said the defendant didn't contest the decision, which was handed down in June for the infraction nearly a year ago – in August 2024. The Vaud criminal code sets a maximum financial penalty based on the 'personal and economic situation of the offender at the time of the ruling' – notably taking into account issues like income, fortune, lifestyle and family financial needs. The newspaper reported that he had already been caught for a similar speeding infraction eight years ago, and also paid 10,000 Swiss francs in penalty and faced another 60,000 if another infraction had taken place within the following two years. In Switzerland, penalties for speeding can even catch up with the cops: One officer was fined for racing at nearly twice the speed limit through Geneva streets back in 2016 while chasing thieves who had blown up a bank teller machine.
CNN
6 days ago
- CNN
A driver faces up to $110,000 in fines for speeding on a Swiss street. But he can afford it
The driver was clocked going 27 kilometers per hour (17 mph) over the speed limit on a street in the Swiss city of Lausanne, and now he's facing up to 90,000 Swiss francs (over $110,000) in fines as a result. But he can afford it. Why the eye-popping penalty? Because the speedster, a repeat offender, is one of Switzerland's wealthiest people, and the Vaud canton, or region, serves up fines based on factors like income, fortune or general family financial situation. The Swiss are not alone. Germany, France, Austria and the Nordic countries all issue punishments based on a person's wealth. The recent fine isn't even a record in Switzerland. In 2010, a millionaire Ferrari driver got a ticket equal to about $290,000 for speeding in the eastern canton of St. Gallen. Back then, the Swiss safety group Road Cross said rich drivers had been lightly punished until voters approved a penal law overhaul three years earlier that let judges hand down fines based on personal income and wealth for misdemeanors like speeding and drunk driving. Under today's rules, an indigent person might spend a night in jail instead of a fine, while the wealthiest in the rich Alpine country could be on the hook for tens of thousands. A court in the Swiss canton of Vaud recently ruled that the tycoon must pay 10,000 Swiss francs ($12,300) up front and could be forced to pay the rest – 80,000 more – if he's caught for a similar roadway infraction over the next three years. Switzerland's '24 Heures' newspaper first reported the case and said the man, who was not identified, was a French citizen listed by Swiss economic weekly Bilan among the 300 richest people in Switzerland – with a fortune in the hundreds of millions of dollars. The daily reported that an automated police radar photographed the offender driving at 77 kilometers per hour (48 mph) in a 50 kph (31 mph) zone on a Lausanne street. A quick-calculating prosecutor tallied the maximum fine the driver faced under the law, the report said. Vincent Derouand, a spokesperson for the Vaud public prosecutors office, said the defendant didn't contest the decision, which was handed down in June for the infraction nearly a year ago – in August 2024. The Vaud criminal code sets a maximum financial penalty based on the 'personal and economic situation of the offender at the time of the ruling' – notably taking into account issues like income, fortune, lifestyle and family financial needs. The newspaper reported that he had already been caught for a similar speeding infraction eight years ago, and also paid 10,000 Swiss francs in penalty and faced another 60,000 if another infraction had taken place within the following two years. In Switzerland, penalties for speeding can even catch up with the cops: One officer was fined for racing at nearly twice the speed limit through Geneva streets back in 2016 while chasing thieves who had blown up a bank teller machine.
CNN
6 days ago
- CNN
A driver faces up to $110,000 in fines for speeding on a Swiss street. But he can afford it
The driver was clocked going 27 kilometers per hour (17 mph) over the speed limit on a street in the Swiss city of Lausanne, and now he's facing up to 90,000 Swiss francs (over $110,000) in fines as a result. But he can afford it. Why the eye-popping penalty? Because the speedster, a repeat offender, is one of Switzerland's wealthiest people, and the Vaud canton, or region, serves up fines based on factors like income, fortune or general family financial situation. The Swiss are not alone. Germany, France, Austria and the Nordic countries all issue punishments based on a person's wealth. The recent fine isn't even a record in Switzerland. In 2010, a millionaire Ferrari driver got a ticket equal to about $290,000 for speeding in the eastern canton of St. Gallen. Back then, the Swiss safety group Road Cross said rich drivers had been lightly punished until voters approved a penal law overhaul three years earlier that let judges hand down fines based on personal income and wealth for misdemeanors like speeding and drunk driving. Under today's rules, an indigent person might spend a night in jail instead of a fine, while the wealthiest in the rich Alpine country could be on the hook for tens of thousands. A court in the Swiss canton of Vaud recently ruled that the tycoon must pay 10,000 Swiss francs ($12,300) up front and could be forced to pay the rest – 80,000 more – if he's caught for a similar roadway infraction over the next three years. Switzerland's '24 Heures' newspaper first reported the case and said the man, who was not identified, was a French citizen listed by Swiss economic weekly Bilan among the 300 richest people in Switzerland – with a fortune in the hundreds of millions of dollars. The daily reported that an automated police radar photographed the offender driving at 77 kilometers per hour (48 mph) in a 50 kph (31 mph) zone on a Lausanne street. A quick-calculating prosecutor tallied the maximum fine the driver faced under the law, the report said. Vincent Derouand, a spokesperson for the Vaud public prosecutors office, said the defendant didn't contest the decision, which was handed down in June for the infraction nearly a year ago – in August 2024. The Vaud criminal code sets a maximum financial penalty based on the 'personal and economic situation of the offender at the time of the ruling' – notably taking into account issues like income, fortune, lifestyle and family financial needs. The newspaper reported that he had already been caught for a similar speeding infraction eight years ago, and also paid 10,000 Swiss francs in penalty and faced another 60,000 if another infraction had taken place within the following two years. In Switzerland, penalties for speeding can even catch up with the cops: One officer was fined for racing at nearly twice the speed limit through Geneva streets back in 2016 while chasing thieves who had blown up a bank teller machine.
Daily Mail
12-08-2025
- Daily Mail
Driver faces $110,000 fine for speeding on Swiss street... but he can afford it
One of Switzerland's richest men has been hit with a staggering speeding penalty of $110,000 (£80,000) for driving just 17mp over the limit. The millionaire motorist, and repeat offender, was caught on camera hurtling along a Lausanne street at 48mph in a 31mph zone. But under Swiss law, the faster you are - and the richer you are - the pricier it gets. The French-born tycoon, whose fortune runs into the hundreds of millions according to Swiss financial weekly Bilan, was clocked in August 2024 by an automated speed camera. Prosecutors wasted no time calculating his punishment, with the fine based not only on the severity of the offence, but also on his income, assets and lavish lifestyle. Under the penal code in the canton of Vaud, speeding fines for the super-wealthy can soar into six figures. While poorer offenders might swap their fine for a night behind bars, the Alpine elite can find themselves paying enough to buy a small chalet. In this case, the court ordered him to pay £8,800 immediately and warned a further £73,000 could be added if he is caught speeding again in the next three years. The man did not contest the decision, which was handed down in June. However, this is not the tycoon's first brush with the speed camera. Eight years ago, he was fined £9,000 and faced a suspended penalty of £55,000 if he reoffended within two years. Despite the steep fine from the August incident, this is not regarded as Switzerland's priciest speeding ticket. In 2010, a millionaire Ferrari driver in St. Gallen was fined a jaw-dropping £267,000 for a similar offence. The law was toughened after voters backed reforms to stop wealthy drivers getting away with what safety groups called 'pocket change' penalties. Germany, France, Austria and the Nordic nations all operate similar wealth-based systems. And it's not just civilians who get caught. In 2016, a Swiss police officer was fined after tearing through Geneva streets at almost double the speed limit while chasing bank robbers.
CTV News
12-08-2025
- Business
- CTV News
A driver faces up to $153,000 in fines for speeding on a Swiss street. But he can afford it
A vehicle passes in front of a sign of the Vaud Cantonal Police indicating the number of driving licences withdrawn for speeding in the construction zone on the A1 motorway between Lausanne and Yverdon, Switzerland, Tuesday, June 15, 2010. (Dominic Favre/Keystone via AP) GENEVA — The driver was clocked going 27 kilometers per hour over the speed limit on a street in the Swiss city of Lausanne, and now he's facing up to 90,000 Swiss francs (more than C$153,000) in fines as a result. But he can afford it. Why the eye-popping penalty? Because the speedster, a repeat offender, is one of Switzerland's wealthiest people, and the Vaud canton, or region, serves up fines based on factors like income, fortune or general family financial situation. The Swiss are not alone. Germany, France, Austria and the Nordic countries all issue punishments based on a person's wealth. The recent fine isn't even a record in Switzerland. In 2010, a millionaire Ferrari driver got a ticket equal to nearly C$400,000 for speeding in the eastern canton of St. Gallen. Back then, the Swiss safety group Road Cross said rich drivers had been lightly punished until voters approved penal law overhaul three years earlier that let judges hand down fines based on personal income and wealth for misdemeanors like speeding and drunk driving. Under today's rules, an indigent person might spend a night in jail instead of a fine, while the wealthiest in the rich Alpine country could be on the hook for tens of thousands. A court in the Swiss canton of Vaud recently ruled that the tycoon must pay 10,000 Swiss francs (C$17,000) up front and could be forced to pay the rest — 80,000 Swiss francs more — if he's caught for a similar roadway infraction over the next three years. Switzerland's '24 Heures' newspaper first reported the case and said the man, who was not identified, was a French citizen listed by Swiss economic weekly Bilan among the 300 richest people in Switzerland — with a fortune in the hundreds of millions of dollars. The daily reported that an automated police radar photographed the offender driving at 77 kilometers per hour in a 50 km/h zone on a Lausanne street. A quick-calculating prosecutor tallied the maximum fine the driver faced under the law, the report said. Vincent Derouand, a spokesperson for the Vaud public prosecutors office, said the defendant didn't contest the decision, which was handed down in June for the infraction nearly a year ago — in August 2024. The Vaud criminal code sets a maximum financial penalty based on the 'personal and economic situation of the offender at the time of the ruling' — notably taking into account issues like income, fortune, lifestyle and family financial needs. The newspaper reported that he had already been caught for a similar speeding infraction eight years ago, and also paid 10,000 Swiss francs in penalty and faced another 60,000 if another infraction had taken place within the following two years. In Switzerland, penalties for speeding can even catch up with the cops: One officer was fined for racing at nearly twice the speed limit through Geneva streets back in 2016 while chasing thieves who had blown up a bank teller machine. Jamey Keaten, The Associated Press
