So as I read it, and ignoring the inaccuracy that it implies it's only for EU members, the UK have positively decided not to enforce the agreements for the time being. Interesting.

Reference: http://www.news.admin.ch/message/ind...e&msg-id=46713

It is not simply driving at 200 Km, there are many more possibilities, this is a result of the Swiss democratic voting system! I suggest you translate it yourselves using Google. The news was released yesterday. In fairness, these draconian measures are for serious speeding!

«Via sicura»: Erste Massnahmen treten am 1. Januar 2013 in Kraft

Bern, 14.11.2012 -
Am 1. Januar 2013 tritt ein erstes Paket mit Massnahmen des Verkehrssicherheitsprogramms «Via sicura» in Kraft. Darin enthalten sind Massnahmen gegen Raser wie die Einziehung und Verwertung von Motorfahrzeugen sowie das Verbot von Radarwarnungen. Ebenfalls angepasst wird das Mindestalter für Radfahrende und Fuhrleute.

Am 15. Juni 2012 hat das Parlament das Verkehrssicherheitsprogramm «Via sicura» angenommen. Der Bundesrat hat beschlossen, die darin enthaltenen Massnahmen gestaffelt in Kraft zu setzen.

Die erste Tranche tritt am 1. Januar 2013 in Kraft.
Eine zweite Tranche soll auf Anfang 2014 in Kraft treten. Diese beinhaltet Massnahmen, die Umsetzungsvorschriften auf Verordnungsstufe brauchen. Dazu wird im nächsten Frühjahr ein Anhörungsverfahren bei den Kantonen und interessierten Organisationen durchgeführt.
Der dritte Teil enthält Massnahmen, die mehr Vorbereitungszeit brauchen. Dies vor allem wegen der Anpassung der Informatik-Systeme auf Bundes- und Kantonsebene. Sie können deshalb erst ab 2015 in Kraft gesetzt werden.
Am 1. Januar 2013 treten in Kraft:

• Begleitung auf Lernfahrten
  Neu dürfen Personen, die nur den Führerausweis auf Probe besitzen, keine Lernfahrten mehr begleiten.
• Abklärung der Fahreignung oder der Fahrkompetenz
  Bei bestimmten Tatbeständen wie Fahren unter Einfluss von Betäubungsmitteln, extremen Geschwindigkeitsübertretungen oder Ausbremsmanövern (Schikanestopps) wird obligatorisch eine Fahreignungsuntersuchung angeordnet.
• Massnahmen gegen Raser
  Ein Raserdelikt liegt vor, wenn die vorgeschriebene Geschwindigkeit wie folgt überschritten wird:
  
  • in der 30km/h-Zone: um 40 km/h ( 70 Km in a 30 zone in town)
  • innerorts (50km/h): um 50km/h (100 Km in a 50 zone in town )
  • ausserorts (80km/h): um 60km/h (140 Km on a country road)
  • auf Autobahnen (120km/h): um 80 km/h. (200 Km on an Autobahn)

Bei einem Raserdelikt wird der Führerausweis für mindestens 2 Jahre entzogen (At least a 2 year driving ban). Im Wiederholungsfall erfolgt dies für immer. Eine ausnahmeweise Wiedererteilung nach 10 Jahren ist nur möglich, wenn ein positives verkehrspsychologisches Gutachten vorliegt.

Zudem wird die Strafandrohung bei Raserdelikten verschärft. Neu gilt eine Mindestfreiheitsstrafe von 1 Jahr, und die Höchststrafe wird auf 4 Jahre Freiheitsstrafe angehoben. (Speeding offender: at least 1 year jail, maybe up to 4 years)

• Einziehung und Verwertung von Motorfahrzeugen
  (The car can be siezed and scrapped)
  Bei groben Verkehrsregelverletzungen, wie krassen Geschwindigkeitsübertretungen, kann das Fahrzeug eingezogen und verwertet werden, sofern der Täter oder die Täterin dadurch von der Begehung weiterer Delikte abgehalten werden kann.
• Verbot von Radarwarnungen (Warning of Radar is forbidden)
  Öffentliche oder entgeltliche Warnungen vor Verkehrskontrollen sind verboten.
• Mindestalter für Radfahrende und Fuhrleute
  Das Mindestalter für das Rad fahren auf Hauptstrassen beträgt neu 6 Jahre. Das Mindestalter für Fuhrleute (Lenker von Tiergespannen) wird auf 14 Jahre angehoben. (Children aged 6 and above, must cycle on the road, below 6 must ride on the pavement!)

Is one supposed to inform the insurance company if convicted of speeding?
I have had a fixed penalty in the past and didnt think about doing it, but have recently gained a more severe ticket and perhaps should.
Would they use non-disclosure as a 'get out' in the case of a claim?

I never did. I mentioned it to my agent and he didn't seem worried about it.

The thing to worry about is if you are committing an infraction when you have an accident. Then the insurance company can refuse to cover any or all of the resulting costs that occur.

Is this an offense that will cause you to lose your license? My husband just sent this to me this morning:

I was driving to work and I turned left onto a street that it is forbidden to do so. The police pulled me over, and I think I might have to make a traffic court appearance...

Or will this just incur a hefty fine? Any ideas?

Thanks!

If had endangered other people (ex. others had to step on the break) or it were possible that in a normal traffic situation people may have been endangered (crossing a solid line, turning on red): Yes.

He will not have to 'appear at the traffic court'. He will get a letter were he can state his point of view (or remain silent) and based on that and the police report he will get his sentence + fine + court cost. Later he will get the warning or license suspension + fee for that too.

Was it one of those situations where it was a two-way road you entered from the wrong side? There are a few of those around the city. Entry across incoming traffic is usually forbidden if there's a blind bend, etc., and the police often set up a trap at the one near us.

If it's a first offence, it will just go to the judge for consideration and you will get a fine in the region of CHF200-250 plus court costs of a similar amount. You won't need to make a court appearance.

I'm speaking from ummm personal experience...

indeed it's likely to be ~250 fine and ~250 "administrative" costs.

Christmas is getting close and they've a party to fund

If he did not endanger anyone, it was not a solid line but did not observe one of those signs:


Just CHF 100. Item 304 on the official price list for naughty drivers.
http://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classifie...142/index.html

The above English translation is nonsense. This means actually the opposite! It should read: To drive a bicycle on a major road ("Hauptstrasse") you must be at least 6 years old!!

Question - I stopped at a red light where I think there's a red light camera (not entirely sure what they look like) and ended up with my front wheels on the white line. I did stop in time before it turned over though. Is that the same fine as running the red light?

hi ziss

main rule: if you stop on or just after the white bar - DON'T MOVE - it's like a mine. if your unlucky and you move 10cm - *flash* - don't move forward nor backwards!

it will usually flash twice so they can see if you have been moving. if you stand still, no worry unless your on the yellow crossing (low fine).

if you run a red light when it just switched, 250.-
if you run a red light after some time (don't know the exact time), autsch! it's gonna hurt...

in your case i think yoou will be fine - no fine!

Thanks, Cheese&ChocolateGuy, that's very useful info! Sounds like I may have avoided the fine. Fingers crossed.

here is the official catalog of fines you can get in switzerland

http://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classifie...142/index.html

if you did something wrong, and this happens really fast here , you can find it in this document - if you don't, for example speeding over the highes speed mention in the catalog, well, bad luck - think about getting a GA for 3 month

Ive been done a few times - mainly slight speeding offences and paid about 60CHF a time. There was one occasion though that I got flashed doing 70 in a 50 zone and it cost about 1500 in total. They advised me that for anything over 16km/h above the limit theres the main speeding fine and then the Strassenverkehrsamt (vehicle department) open "a case" file to monitor your record which has associated admin fees and things which totted up to another 400 ish. That "case" lasted for 2 years in which I was very careful and didn't get caught again. THe driving office told me that if I was caught again in the two years I could face a months ban - but that I could choose when to take the ban within a period of twelve months.. LOL... quite reasonable really...

To be avoided:
Going too fast in a 30km/ zone
54 km/h cost me about 800 S. Fr. all up and an endorsement

An endorsement on your licence.............how does that work then ?

And by the way 54km/h in a 30 zone, you would lose your licence

BBC news, 10 February 2015

EU law targets foreign rogue drivers to curb offences

Many of us have seen this coming and in May this year there will be better co-operation between EU countries on finding & punishing bad motorists.

Denmark, Ireland & UK might begin later in 2017.

Switzerland has agreements with the EU, so I can imagine most agreements beginning in May 2015.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31356381

I can find lots of references to being obliged to know who was driving one's care at any given time and place. This seems a bit ridiculous to me. I certainly do not keep a diary of who's driving the car, but apparently Swiss people think I should? Anyways, no question the car was speeding.

But what does one do if one doesn't know who was driving?

We've got a ticket in the mail for 20CHF but we've know idea who was driving on the day of the incident. Well, an idea of one of the family, but we don't know.

We can choose someone but it seems bizarre to demand it.

This is one of the reasons photoradar wasn't implemented where I come from I recall.

Do they actually ask who was driving for a fine of 20 chf?
Since small fines are not recorded anyway it doesn't make any difference who was driving and we've certainly never been asked.