http://wikitravel.org/en/Switzerland#b

Quote: Don't Think You'll Speed Undeterred

If you get fined but not stopped (e.g. caught by a Speed Camera) the police will send you the fine even if you live abroad.

In Switzerland, speeding is not a violation of a traffic code but a Legal Offence, if you fail to comply there is a good chance that an international rogatory will be issued and you have to go to court in your home country.

This is enforced by most countries, including all of Europe, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and many countries in South America and Asia. Failure to comply can result in a warrant being issued for your arrest by your home country.

Also, starting from 2007, Switzerland banned all GPS appliances with built-in speed cameras databases as they are equipped with "Radar Detectors".
According to some GPS navigator producers, it is advised to remove the Swiss radar database while driving in the country as the police may give you a fine and impound your device even if it is turned off and placed in the trunk of your vehicle!

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I'm sure you're right that they have the capability to do so. A couple of other posters have suggested that they can't, which I'm sure is incorrect.

But I'd still like to know if anyone's actually had first-hand experience of them doing so.

They will surely be registered with the Office des Poursuites, like all debts in CH- which will mean that they will make it impossible for you to rent, open a bank account, buy anything or get a job- if you decide to stay in CH.

Haven't you got any family or friends keeping an eye on your place in the UK and your letter-box??

I once got a fine sent to my UK address- but for a rental car. It was sent to the rental company and they forwarded it to me with 1 day left to pay- it dropped into my letter-box on 24th of December! I faxed it to a good friend in CH who paid it at the police station for me on the 26th, explaining the 1 day delay.

wiki is hardly a reliable point of info, it can be edited by anyone as I have just done......... If in doubt always go to points that deal with this subject such as pepipoo where there are legally trained experts dealing with cases on a daily basis.

my version of wiki http://wikitravel.org/wiki/en/index....&oldid=1820688

The people with the key are professional dope smokers, I've been trying to get them to froward another letter to me for about four months. That stuff should be illegal, it really stops people from being effective.

It will hardly be registered with Office des Poursuites if they don't realise your living here. If the police have a local address you will hear well before the Office des Poursuites tries to collect.

Total pap! There is not a good chance at all, if one was doing something really stupid yes they could try and come after you agreed, or, if it was on a database the border may give you trouble, but for a simple speeding there is no bilateral...period, if they catch, stop you and fine you on the spot fine you are caught, but by chasing things through the mail and DVLA giving them the information unless a serious offence was committed no way!

Drivers ‘Hunted' for Fines Abroad

Daily Mail, 19th June 2006
By Political Correspondent

British motorists are to be pursued for parking tickets and speeding fines incurred on the continent under plans being drawn up by the government.

Ministers have given the DVLA permission to pass the details of British drivers to foreign police forces so they can chase offenders for payment of any criminal penalty.

From March next year, the DVLA will also be able to send out tickets on behalf of foreign countries – although they will not be able to penalise British motorists by adding points to licences.

Under the new laws, all EU member states will be legally bound to follow up unpaid fines if requested by another member state.

But it is expected to apply only to fines over 70 euros, about £50.

Ministers are currently in the process of reaching agreements with other EU countries to issue a blanket ban on drivers convicted of the most serious driving offences.

The new moves also mean thousands of foreigners who commit offences in this country will not escape justice.

In London alone, it is estimated that foreign drivers owed around £40million last year in unpaid congestion charge fines, parking tickets and bus lane tickets.

Campaigners last night welcomed EU countries working together to penalise criminal offences, but raised concerns about handing over driver details for more minor offences. Paul Watters, head of road safety at the AA Motoring Trust, said: “We have concerns about what language civil penalties will be issued in, and whether British drivers will have the same access to appeal as they would in their own country.”

Sheila Rainger, campaigns manager for the RAC foundation, said clamping down on foreign offenders was ‘good news'. “There are increasing numbers of people who register their cars abroad to avoid fines and penalties. But that is not fair on everyone else,” she said.

Shadow local government minister Eric Pickles said: “Drivers have already been hit by speed camera fines and soaring parking charges under Labour. Now they are fleecing them even more by helping zealous foreign penpusher to hunt them down.

http://www.nopenaltypoints.co.uk/com...es-abroad.html

UK Motorists Fined in the UK for Offences Abroad
UK motorists who do break foreign motoring laws can still be chased for penalties and fines once back in Britain. Many motorists driving abroad who have committed offences such as parking or speeding violations assume they are free and clear once they are back in the UK. But the DVLA will pass on the UK driver’s details to any foreign country that requests it to follow up on motoring offences. Some countries also use hefty on the spot fines for motorists who violate their road laws. France is seen as the number one country for pursuing foreign motorists who commit motoring offences in their country.

Options Open to Foreign Countries Pursuing UK Motorists
The UK DVLA will be the first point of call when foreign governments decide to pursue UK motorists for driving offences. The DVLA are able to send out tickets to motorists in the UK on behalf of foreign countries. All European Union countries are legally committed to following up unpaid fines incurred by UK motorists when abroad. UK drivers who are convicted of serious driving offences while abroad may be subject to a Complete Ban. Motorists who use hire company vehicles will not escape as hire companies will pass on the motorist’s details if they have committed an offence abroad.

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All correct in theory for EU countries, I know France tries to pursue the Brits where I know some have been made to pay and one with with a huge 1200 euro infraction told the collection agent to foff and prove it, they never came back... But that's France an EU country... Britain's tunnel "friend"

Well, to give you our experience...
Before moving to Switzerland in 2011 (we lived in Belgium before), we spent quite some holidays overhere.
Much to our surprise, we received in 2006 a penalty for speeding in one of the tunnels in 2003. We were doing 118km/h instead of 100km/h.
The amazing thing was that we got the bill 3 years after the actual speeding. Meanwhile, my boyfriend had changed cars (leasing car by the way), jobs and addresses.
The shocking thing was that the penalty was almost 300€ as they involved a baillif to track us. The claim we got was quite documented, I guess around 10 pages, including the picture of the flash, etc etc.
Feedback we got is that the Swiss authorities could not really impose the payment of the penalty, just send us the payment slip. However, if we would ever get stopped at the border or anywhere else in Switzerland, we could be forced to pay, with interests. As we came quite often to Switzerland, we decided to pay...
Since then, no speeding anymore in Switzerland!

Thanks for a first hand on this!!

I'm always in favor of paying legitimate infringements than chancing angering the locals, not when they escalate the costs to get it 'tho without fair chance of payment. Did you pay the balif cost too?

Perhaps now Ace1 would be so kind as to remove the groan with my information tying up 100% with this account

Eh? You seemed to be saying there was no chance of an offence being followed up, whereas this is actually an example of one that was. I'm confused now.

The penalty we got was an all inclusive... so including the costs for tracking us and no option to pay the speeding fine only.
We never got any mail from the Swiss authorities before that date in 2006.

No I was meant they couldn't enforce it, not saying they couldn't try if they thought it was big enough. Sorry if I didn't express that clearly. I guess 300 Euro they thought was worth trying to get that time.... Also I have no idea how the Belgum system works and was basing the discussion on the deal, or lack of, with the UK and was challenging the "high chance" *statement* of them following it up successfully there, I should have been a little more specific..

The UK did not sign up to this, but ill welcome a better source than the daily hate from 6 years ago. The daily star said that UFOs were found in freddy starrs bum so it must be true also.