It says:

<Insert Name Here> wird schulding gesprochen:

des Vornehmens einer Verrichtung, welche die Bedienung des Fahrzeuges beeintraechtigt

im Sinne von Art. 90 Abs. 1 SVG i.V.m Art. 31 Abs. 1 SVG und Art. 3 Abs. 1 VRV,

begangen am <date>, <time>, in <location> mit dem Personenwagen <license plate number>, durch Bedienen des Mobiltelefons waehrend der Fahrt.

It then states that I'm fined 300 CHF and states my rights to object and also outlines the good times I can have if I don't pay the fine (Betreibung and/or possible jail time of 3 days).

I find it curious because for a light offence it is a bit steep, but it wasn't a serious offence either (as in I wasn't a danger to anyone and the police acknowledged this), and compared to fines dished out for excessive speeding, it's not that high. It's not worth contesting and bringing in lawyers in any case.

I was asked for my occupation and position, which I provided truthfully and perhaps the judge thought to give me an appropriately higher fine? My ego would certainly like that explanation

I've been religiously using the built-in bluetooth thingy in the car since then so the fine had it's intended effect I suppose...

Word is they are really cracking down. And rightly so.


Good on you for owning up to it.

Is that where you can buy them? Send them in for repair?

So I called the local cop shop and apparently this is (now?) the normal fine for being caught red handed with a phone in your hand (at least in Kanton Schwyz).

May one reach for a phone while waiting for a green light?

As long as you aren't in charge of a motor vehicle, yes.

Just wondering! Is it OK to use the hands free telephone built into my car while driving or is this also not allowed?

Sometimes I get Indian* shorts - you know- the kind that sneak up on you?

Will I get a fine if I'm reaching to free my boys?


*Native American. Not British.


JK

Yes, that's allowed.

Although you may get stopped for appearing to talk to yourself.

Both hands, or just one?

So next time paint your hands blue before you get in the car

I was fined chf 100 last year for using the phone in the car. Stupid, stupid. My husband was ill and he was calling, so I picked up the phone, something I rarely do. and I got caught.


I was stopped by an unmarked police car on the highway between Wil and Winterthur, so probably Thurgau. Guess it had the desired effect. If the phone's not connected to the hands free, I never pick it up now.

Why don't people use hands free? I am curious as to the reasons and excuses.

I am surprised so many people don't use their cars built in hands free, or at least the free ear buds that come with phones

. I would say my driving in about 25%impaired when on hands free callsand more than 50% impaired if I am holding a phone. I never hold a phone for calls when driving any more.

I bike around Zurich a lot and would say 1 in 10 drivers still haven't adopted the habit of driving with their lights on at all times (which I think know is a really good idea and makes all cars more visible), and at peak hour about 1 in 20 is holding a phone to their head.

That is a lot of people not using go hands free. It both annoys and confuses me. How effondrement hard is it to use hands free, when as far as I can see 90% of cars are less than 7 years old, so presumably have this feature.

Definitely their attention and peripheral awareness is affected (phone not headlights).

A 300 franc fine is a cheaper ''lesson'' than an accident.

. Rather than not take calls, take 30 mins to figure out how to do hands free on your phones.

Tis a mystery to me. I just don't use the phone driving a car. End of. I do have hands free.

Perhaps I'm not important enough.

Ah, but would you even hear anything over the engine?

xynth - I am so sorry it happened to you.

But really, I am glad to hear they are beginning to take using phones whilst driving seriously. It is a dangerous menace. Driving up the hill to here, I keep encountering huge lorries with heavy loads haring down driving with one hand on those nasty bends, often partly on the other side of the road. So yes, much much worse.

Again, sorry it was you- but...

Who needs a radio when you have Weslake's 6th symphony playing.

I cant remember where I saw a report that hands free is actually more distracting than holding the phone as you tend to not hear clearly what is being said.

The Bundesgericht ruled on a case where the driver simply held the phone for about 15 seconds (happened may 2013), that this was no punishable deed because the driver had full control and full concentration for the traffic at all times, and could have reacted sufficiently quickly if needed. Here's an article in German on the verdict.

Granted, that case happened on the Autobahn, things may differ if Xynth was caught, for instance within city limits, especially during rush hour, or whatever. But still... may be worth checking if rules or practice have changed meanwhile.

The stupid fact is:
Manipulating your mobile, including texting, checking who called, possibly even typing the number you want to call, is more expensive than actually phoning. The latter costs 100.- if no aggravating factors are present, while the former is at least twice as costly or (much) more and may even come with a license suspension.

However, even using a handsfree can get you into much more serious trouble if you concentrate on something other than the traffic.

I remember it as: phoning increases the accident risk fivefold, while handsfree increases the risk fourfold. The bfu (Beratungsstelle für Unfallverhütung) recommends to not phone at all while driving.