Could not find the original source I had seen a few weeks ago when researching.

So, to verify the details off the website I had seen a few weeks ago, I called the ZH Staatsanwaltschaft ZH - the person I talked to didn't have a source for me, but assured me that the income from the partner would be considered in such a situation. Not 100%, but a majority thereof.
JC

I read with interest how many seems to use the "menukarte" to price their speeding "fun".

For me, it is irrelevant because I do not exceed the speed limits in most cases (say 99% of the time). The 1% could very well be unclear road signs etc.

Anyway, drive safe and live to tell the tale. High speeds can kill. Take care on the roads.

A little warning for those outraged by heavy Swiss fines:

About 10 years ago, at 4 am, I was driving alone on the autobahn near Bern and was clocked at 160 Km/hr. I received notification of the usual punishments, and I went to a friendly lawyer in Fribourg for advice.

He thought the fine of CHF 900,- and 10 days suspended prison was a bit steep, and explained that the time of 4 am would not influence the penalty, but he said it was worth trying an appeal.

I went to the Court in Bern, and while researching my file, I was invited to state my appeal before the judge. He listened to my simple argument "I feel the fine is too high", and he lowered the suspended prison term from 10 days to 2 days, but raised the fine from CHF 900 to CHF 2'000 plus CHF 300 costs. He also said I could appeal his decision - no thank you, I won't be appealing!

Did CTR get up on the wrong side of the bed? Hat was only saying to drive safe and don't overdo it. Where's the beef? Nothing wrong with a piece of sound advice.

I do drive faster, according to my speedometer, than the posted limit about 25%-30% of the time. Although I do know where my limits are [with regards to: a) speedometer calibration, b) street conditions, c) the limitations of the vehicle and d) my own driving experience].
JC

e) the heavy penalties for speeding?

About "Firstly, if you dare to dart into a pedestrian zone at that speed, you will be lucky if you are not carted away in cuffs for killing someone"

True but I can take you to some 30 zones where you practically never see any pedestrians. The expression pedestrian zone conjures up a false vision of the streets & pavements swarming with people

As I've understood it, 30kmh zones are not pedestrian priority zones, they are 20kmh zones, here pedestrians can cross anywhere and even walk in the road, there are still designated crossings for pedestrians in 30kmh zones. Although in 30kmh zones vehicules from the right have priority.

Yacek brought up "pedestrian zone". It is clear to me - the difference between pedestrian and 30 zones.

Yes, 30 zone is still a "street" where vehicles have priority on the road. Still, there are still pedestrians with IQs well below the average that can not comprehend the difference between the two.
JC

Or they're quite commonly residential streets full of children playing who may run out into the road.

The 30 zones I've seen tend to be in residential areas on roads that are used as ratruns.

My guess is that the limit is imposed to dissuade cars from using the roads which weren't exected to reach over a certain capacity when there are kids wandering about too.

Yes, very true. Thus the tempo is reduced.

New article this morning in 20minutes:

Thurgau Brings Father of Baby Emergency Before Bundesgericht (High Court).

http://www.20min.ch/schweiz/ostschwe...richt-24467252

The incident happened in St. Gallen. The father was called early in the morning to make a life or death decision regarding the emergency condition of his baby. The mother is not conscious. He drives, fast, to the hospital. Flashed doing 61 in a 30 zone at 5:am.

After investigating and having human understanding for the situation, St. Gallen drops the charges. However, his home Canton, Thurgau, reverses the charges being dropped and pulls his license for three years.

The high court (Bundesgericht) reversed Thurgau's decision.
JC

Sadly he broke the law, only ambulances are allowed to race with dying patients. In the end happily he won against the bureaucrats.

What surprises me, is the fact the Canton Thurgau stuck their nose into business that has nothing to do with them in the first place.
JC

As explained in the article that's not true. The law was on his side. It was the bureaucrats as you say who needed to be reminded of their place

I would maybe add to this that the state attorney of St Gallen dropped all charges against the father.
The Strassenverkehrsamt of Thurgau thought they know better and decided to give him a year driving ban.
The administrative court of Thurgau told them to wise up and reversed this decision.
The verkehrsamt in their eternal wisdom with their fast knowledge of the laws which apparently exceeds that of the ones who are paid to uphold them appealed this decision to the high court. The high court obviously rejected the appeal and reminded the department that they have no right to second guess the law authorities unless they have additional evidence.

The article had a poll asking if the father should have been charged 97% say he shouldn't

Not exactly right. The federal court did not say if the speeding itself was o.k. or not. It only ruled that a license suspension was not o.k. because the authority responsible for the license suspension did not show (actually did not even try to show) that the speeding was not o.k.
It was the lacy bureaucrats who needed to be reminded that they have to do work before they can just decide about other peoples live (and driving license).

1C_345/2012

Original source of these values is:
Art. 8 VSKV-ASTRA (SR 741.013.1 Verordnung des ASTRA zur Strassenverkehrskontrollverordnung)

You can find some guidelines on the webpage of the Konferenz der Strafverfolgungsbehörden der Schweiz.

Agreed but it's a prosecutor's job to sort out who has case to answer for breaking the law and bring the case before a judge. The prosecutor who took on the case decided he had no case to answer hence no law was broken. To say a normal person isn't allowed to speed if the passenger is dying isn't true. There's been plenty of cases where people haven't been prosecutated