Speeding fines are a way of life if you drive a lot and Switzerland is no exception.
However, unlike other countries, Switzerland has an open-ended speeding fine structure that means you could end up paying thousands of dollars if you drive seriously fast!
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The Highest Speeding Fine in Switzerland
The highest speeding fine in Switzerland was issued to a Swedish driver for exceeding the 120 km/h speed limit by 170 km/h. He was fined just over a million dollars for his driving antics, even though he claimed his speedometer was broken!
So, how much can you expect to pay if you speed in Switzerland?
Speeding Fine Costs In Switzerland
The following are the speeding fines in Switzerland for various zones of traffic:
| Excess speed | Built-up areas | Outside built-up areas (expressways incl.) | Motorway |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-5 km/h | 40.- | 40.- | 20.- |
| 6-10 km/h | 120.- | 100.- | 60.- |
| 11-15 km/h | 250.- | 160.- | 120.- |
| 16-20 km/h | Summons | 240.- | 180.- |
| 21-25 km/h | Summons | Summons | 260.- |
| over 25 km/h | Summons | Summons | Summons |
Speeding Fine Calculation
Keep in mind that speeding fines are given after a tolerance value is removed from the speed you were driving at.
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This is because the various speed measurement devices have an error in them, so they will reduce your speed by between 3-5 km/h.
For example, if you were driving 58km/h in a 50/km/h zone, you might be fined for driving 55 km/h. This would cost you CHF 40.
As you can see above, once you speed more than 15 km/h over in built-up areas or 20 km/h on highways, you get a summons. This is a criminal offense and means you will have a pay a seriously higher fine which is calculated based on your income. That is why the man in the opening paragraph had to pay so much money.
In many cases, depending on your income, you could be up for over CHF 1000. So, try to stay around the speed limit or less. It is safer anyway :>
Speeding Fines In A Rental Car
Many foreigners get speeding fines from their rental car companies once they left Switzerland.
The police contact the owner of the vehicle for the speeding fine, the rental car company. They usually advise the police that you were driving and redirect the fine to you. (The same can be done if your friend is driving your car in Switzerland).
Some people try to ignore these fines and hope they go away. But Swiss authorities are not known for disappearing very quickly. Plus, if you don’t pay it, it will be waiting for you at the airport when you next visit Switzerland. Not a fun experience according to some people on Reddit who it has happened to.
So, if you get a speeding fine for a car you rented in Switzerland. Just pay for it. You did earn it after all.
