Have a look here as a rough guide:

How do speeding fines work in Switzerland?

If the 47 was before deductions it should just be a fine, if after deductions it should be a bigger fine and a warning.

*should* being the operative word

It was after deduction.
So according to the table, it seems there will not be any criminal record stored. Is it correct?

Thanks a lot!

According to the table, light infringement, no record on criminal register.

60% over the speed limit though, in a built up area, keep us posted!

Hi,

I traveled in Switzerland 1 month ago, rent a car, and today I received a "Notification of Violation" from St. Gallen Police.

"
...
Excending the speed limit inside towns

Speed measured: 74 km/h
Permitted speed: 50 km/h
Safety margin: 3km/h
--------------------------------
Speed in excess of the speed limit: 21km/h

Legal basis: Swiss Federal Road Traffic Regulation, Art. 90

This matter cannot be settled in an administrative fining procedure because of the extent to which the driver exceeded the speed limit. Regular criminal proceedings must be initiated (the case must be handed over the competent court).
...
"

Looking on the table provided by litespeed, I understand that I will get a fine of 520 CHF (not including court costs) and a moderate case, light infrigment criminal classification (recorded on criminal register), and loss of licence (1 month in Switzerland ??? ).
Have I missed something ? Can someone confirm this for my case ? I can add that I'm living outside Switzerland.

Thanks

I thought I might add my comments to this discussion.

This past weekend I was returning to Germany from Italy, traveling through Switzerland. I have driven in Switzerland twice in the past, and having learned many things about the fines for speeding and traffic violations, have always been very careful. This recent trip was no exception. I was driving carefully on the autobahns and during my brief stop in Luzern. For the entire journey I worked to drive at the posted speed limits.

Unfortunately, after a fuel stop around 2230, I was accelerating back onto the autobahn in the rain and encountered a speed camera. I was paying attention to merging and not my precise speed, but the entry led immediately into a tunnel. As I entered the tunnel I saw the red flash. Yes, I know that the speed limit in tunnels is 100 km/h. Yes, the limit was clearly posted. Yes, I am completely in the wrong and have no grounds on which to contest the fine I am sure to receive.

I suspect I passed the camera at what my car read as 121 km/h, which is probably closer to 125 or 126 km/h as is typically indicated by my navigation system. Yes, I realise that most cars read a faster speed than you are traveling, but what can I say, mine does not. Based on what I have read on this thread this means I can expect of fine of either 180 or 260 chf.

Naturally, after this incident, I tried to be even more vigilant of maintaining the speed limit. Yet, just a few kilometers from Germany in Basel, while driving an indicated 78 on my speedometer in an 80 km zone, I saw another flash. The camera must not have registered my speed at any more than 81 km/h. I can only hope that the margin of error for this "offence" negates a fine, but I am not hopeful.

Now I will visit the postbox each day waiting for the fines to arrive, and hopeful that I did not acquire any additional fines during my short time in the country. I cannot contest that I was exceeding the speed limit, but I was driving with no other cars on the road, not putting any Swiss in danger, and now must be penalized what I hope is only some few hundred Euros. I am not sure of my exact speed as I passed the first camera so I am hopeful that it was a bit slower and not a bit faster, but even at 16 km/h over, I must pay 180 chf!

I suspect that I am not the only person who feels that the speeding enforcement in Switzerland is unreasonable. They have made camera safety databases unlawful, they do not post signs indicating the locations of cameras, and they apply excessive fines to careful drivers who make small mistakes. To obtain a similar fine for my 20km/h excess in Germany I would need to exceed the limit by at least 60 km/h. What an unpleasant place with an unpleasant government. I will pay my fines to Switzerland, but I will never return by car, and will discourage others from doing so!

If the fine is below 5000 CHF you won't get a criminal record.

Thanks for that., wouldn't want to meet you on the road when you are being so vigilant .

You are welcome! Mock if you must, but I was obeying the posted limits for the majority of my drive. At the same time I was passed by quite a few Swiss exceeding the limit who apparently know where all of the cameras are and choose to obey the law only when observed. In their defence, most were driving under the speed limit.

In Germany driving 160 km/h and faster is not uncommon, and yet I have no fear for my safety...or my money!

1) Thanks for keeping our taxes low

2) Suggest you get your speedo fixed

3) By not coming back you will relieve Switzerland of through traffic problem - but would it be possible for you to still pay the Vignette each year??

You should:

Germany - 6,613 road deaths, population 82.4 million or 80.25 deaths per million
Switzerland – 546 road deaths, population 7.45 million or 75.70 per million

Source

You are not the only one. There are plenty of people in Switzerland who feel likewise. Unfortunately they're a minority while most people seem to suffer from a pathological obsession with speeding and actually applaud the draconian enforcement and the ridiculously low speed limits.

Both cut into revenue...

It's very un-Swiss to make mistakes! This country is not about tolerance but about obeying the rules.

That's exactly what the Swiss tourism industry needs right now. Make sure to let Switzerland Tourism know that you won't return.

1. You are welcome!
2. Thanks, but it has never been an issue for me in the past.
3. I suspect I will pay for many years worth of vignettes with these unreasonable fines, so no, I cannot, sorry.

The point of this entire thread is clearly to warn foreigners that driving there carries a significant financial hazard that does not appear to be for the benefit of the safety of road users. When I receive my fines, I will post them so that others can be warned of the perils of car travel in Switzerland!

I apologize if I have been inflammatory towards Switzerland, but the speed camera fines and placement is apparently predatory. UK uses a significant number of cameras, but fixed cameras are marked and they have not made camera databases illegal. These actions carry the same benefits: road users slow down at dangerous segments of road. Netherlands uses a significant number of cameras, including average speed cameras which are arguably more effective at slowing down traffic, and are well marked on motorways. Germany uses cameras that are unmarked, but the fines are not potentially financially devastating!

If you feel as though it is fair to charge folks traveling through Switzerland such fines, then by all means, enjoy your drive there! I will take my chances with the "dangerous" Germans for now and give my Euros to Ryanair or Lufthansa to fly me to Italy next time.

I suppose it's rather un-German to makes mistakes as well, but I'm not a native German, so maybe I don't really know. All I know is that should I stray over the speed limit here in Deutschland, I won't be made to feel like a hardended criminal or be forced to pay hundreds of Euro in fines.

I suspect I will return to Switzerland, but it certainly will not be by a car owned by me or with me at the wheel. It's a beautiful country, unfortunately they are very hostile towards motorists enjoying their country. With that said, it might be some time, I do have a bit of a bad taste in my mouth right now. I would have much rather spent that few hundred francs on a hotel, a nice dinner, and a weekend of skiing than on a fine for a, in my opinion, trivial speed violation.

True, but Swiss existence is about obeying the rules not about whether or not you are actually safer.

"carries a significant financial hazard that does not appear to be for the benefit of the safety of road users"

But it is. Back home where fines are laughable (50chf for 50+ over the limit) I've had a head on collision with a dude in a junk heap driving 100+ in a 50 zone in the early morning. I'm sure he also felt he was no danger to anyone as it was Sunday morning and little to no other cars around. Unfortunately for me, he was wrong.

Actually if you look at deaths per million Km (probably a better measure given the high level of transit traffic in Switzerland) it's an even better arguement:

Germany - 7.2
Switzerland - 5.6

Wikipedia but you can see the same table elsewhere

Speed limits in tunnels tend to be rigerously enforced and with very good reason if you consider the consequences of an accident. Sorry - this was NOT a trivial violation.

Good. The last thing we need is more transit traffic. You could also go via Austria although they have more hidden cameras than the Swiss.

Of course this doesn't happen in Switzerland, so draconian fines must work. Yeah, right!

This is sooo rediculous! I just received a fine for 40 chf for driving 53 in a 50km zone!!! My Jeep speedometer is in MPH from the USA, and all I have is tiny little 20/40/60 tabs for KM....when I was thinking I was going 30, I must have been going 31 MPH.. Is there a way to avoid or get out of this ticket? I thought I was abiding by the speed and still get a ticket! Huffing and puffing!!!

fraid not, they already reduced your speed by a few km, so you where in fact going closer to 60km, get yourself a GPS, eg Navigon, tomtom etc that will beep when you go over the speed limit, all of them do it now.

only down side is you can still get caught out with temp speed limits, eg road works

or you can replace the speedo in the jeep, you should be able to buy a sticker that goes over your miles and replaces them with KM, check ebay, thats where I got the one for our landcruiser.