Latest news with #repeatoffender
CNN
2 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.
CTV News
3 days ago
- 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
The Independent
3 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Why a driver faces a huge $110,000 in fines for speeding on a Swiss street
A wealthy motorist in Switzerland faces a potential fine up to 90,000 Swiss francs ($110,000) after being caught driving 27 kilometres per hour (17 mph) over the speed limit in Lausanne. The substantial penalty reflects Switzerland's unique system of wealth-based fines, which tailors penalties to an individual's income and financial standing. The driver, a repeat offender and one of Switzerland's richest people, was caught on a city street, with fines in cantons like Vaud determined by income, fortune, or overall financial situation. This approach is not unique to Switzerland; Germany, France, Austria, and Nordic countries also issue wealth-based punishments. This isn't even a record for Switzerland. In 2010, a millionaire Ferrari driver received a $290,000 ticket for speeding in St. Gallen. These significant penalties for affluent offenders were enabled by a penal law overhaul, approved by Swiss voters three years prior, allowing judges to base fines on personal income and wealth for misdemeanours. 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.
CTV News
10-07-2025
- CTV News
Repeat offender charged in Brampton crash that left a 21-year-old critically injured
A five-time repeat offender with three lifetime driving bans is facing impaired driving charges after a Brampton crash sent three to hospital, including one in critical condition.
CBC
10-07-2025
- CBC
Peel police say repeat drunk driver out on bail after Brampton crash should be 'behind bars right now'
A man arrested for impaired driving after a four-vehicle collision in Brampton, Ont., over the weekend is a repeat offender who has since been released on bail, Peel police say. The collision happened Saturday afternoon at the intersection of Highway 50 and Coleraine Drive. Multiple injuries were reported, including a 21-year-old man who remains in "unstable, critical condition and is anticipated to have long-term life-altering injuries," police said in a Thursday news release. A 58-year-old Mississauga man was arrested at the scene and has since been charged with multiple offences, including impaired driving. A judge released him on bail this week, police said, on condition the man — a five-time repeat offender already subject to three lifetime driving prohibitions — not drive. Peel police Const. Tyler Bell said Thursday that he couldn't help but shake his head when he looked at the man's driving record. "This individual has blatant disregard of any court orders, he obviously has a problem, and that problem is putting the public at risk," Bell told CBC Toronto. "The only safe place for the members of the community is behind bars right now." Two other people were taken to hospital with injuries after the crash, Peel paramedics said.
