A driver faces up to $110,000 in fines for speeding on a Swiss street. But he can afford it
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Browns All-Pro DE Myles Garrett ticketed after police say he drove 100 mph in Cleveland suburb
Garrett is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday but he could pay a $250 fine without appearing. Garrett is expected to be with the Browns in Philadelphia for a joint workout with the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles. It is the second time in less than two months a Browns player has been stopped by Strongsville Police for speeding.
The Strongsville Police Department stopped Garrett just after 2 a.m. Saturday in a 60 mph zone on Interstate 71 near the Ohio Turnpike, according to a citation.
Garrett is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday but he could pay a $250 fine without appearing. Garrett is expected to be with the Browns in Philadelphia for a joint workout with the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles.
Garrett was stopped less than an hour after the Browns landed at Hopkins International Airport after their 30-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers.
It is the second time in less than two months a Browns player has been stopped by Strongsville Police for speeding. On June 17, Shedeur Sanders was stopped for going 101 mph near the same stretch of highway as Garrett.
In 2022, Garrett flipped his Porsche when he veered off a rural road near his home following practice. He suffered a sprained shoulder, strained biceps, cuts and bruises in the wreck and was cited for failure to control his vehicle and unsafe speed.
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A driver faces up to $110,000 in fines for speeding on a Swiss street. But he can afford it
A repeat offender is one of Switzerland’s wealthiest people. A court in the Swiss canton of Vaud recently ruled that the tycoon must pay 10,000 Swiss francs ($12,300) up front. He could be forced to pay the rest — 80,000 more — if he’s caught for a similar roadway infraction over the next three years. In 2010, a millionaire Ferrari driver got a ticket equal to about $290,000 for speeding in the eastern canton, St. Gallen. The fine is based on factors like income, fortune or general family financial situation, the court said in a statement.. Germany, France, Austria and the Nordic countries all issue punishments based on a person’s wealth.
Why the eye-popping penalty? Because the speedster, a repeat offender, is one of Switzerland’s wealthiest people, and the Vaud canton, or region, serves up fines based on factors like income, fortune or general family financial situation.
The Swiss are not alone. Germany, France, Austria and the Nordic countries all issue punishments based on a person’s wealth. The recent fine isn’t even a record in Switzerland. In 2010, a millionaire Ferrari driver got a ticket equal to about $290,000 for speeding in the eastern canton of St. Gallen.
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Back then, the Swiss safety group Road Cross said rich drivers had been lightly punished until voters approved a penal law overhaul three years earlier that let judges hand down fines based on personal income and wealth for misdemeanors like speeding and drunk driving.
Under today’s rules, an indigent person might spend a night in jail instead of a fine, while the wealthiest in the rich Alpine country could be on the hook for tens of thousands.
A court in the Swiss canton of Vaud recently ruled that the tycoon must pay 10,000 Swiss francs ($12,300) up front and could be forced to pay the rest — 80,000 more — if he’s caught for a similar roadway infraction over the next three years.
Switzerland’s “24 Heures” newspaper first reported the case and said the man, who was not identified, was a French citizen listed by Swiss economic weekly Bilan among the 300 richest people in Switzerland — with a fortune in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
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The daily reported that an automated police radar photographed the offender driving at 77 kilometers per hour (48 mph) in a 50 kph (31 mph) zone on a Lausanne street. A quick-calculating prosecutor tallied the maximum fine the driver faced under the law, the report said.
Vincent Derouand, a spokesperson for the Vaud public prosecutors office, said the defendant didn’t contest the decision, which was handed down in June for the infraction nearly a year ago — in August 2024.
The Vaud criminal code sets a maximum financial penalty based on the “personal and economic situation of the offender at the time of the ruling” — notably taking into account issues like income, fortune, lifestyle and family financial needs.
The newspaper reported that he had already been caught for a similar speeding infraction eight years ago, and also paid 10,000 Swiss francs in penalty and faced another 60,000 if another infraction had taken place within the following two years.
In Switzerland, penalties for speeding can even catch up with the cops: One officer was fined for racing at nearly twice the speed limit through Geneva streets back in 2016 while chasing thieves who had blown up a bank teller machine.
Why a driver faces a huge $110,000 in fines for speeding on a Swiss street
Switzerland has a unique system of wealth-based fines, which tailors penalties to an individual’s income and financial standing. The driver, a repeat offender and one of Switzerland’s richest people, was caught on a city street, with fines in cantons like Vaud determined by income, fortune, or overall financial situation. In 2010, a millionaire Ferrari driver received a $290,000 ticket for speeding in St. Gallen. These significant penalties for affluent offenders were enabled by a penal law overhaul, approved by Swiss voters three years prior. Under today’s rules, an indigent person might spend a night in jail instead of a fine, while the wealthiest in the rich Alpine country could be on the hook for tens of thousands.
A wealthy motorist in Switzerland faces a potential fine up to 90,000 Swiss francs ($110,000) after being caught driving 27 kilometres per hour (17 mph) over the speed limit in Lausanne.
The substantial penalty reflects Switzerland’s unique system of wealth-based fines, which tailors penalties to an individual’s income and financial standing.
The driver, a repeat offender and one of Switzerland’s richest people, was caught on a city street, with fines in cantons like Vaud determined by income, fortune, or overall financial situation. This approach is not unique to Switzerland; Germany, France, Austria, and Nordic countries also issue wealth-based punishments.
This isn’t even a record for Switzerland. In 2010, a millionaire Ferrari driver received a $290,000 ticket for speeding in St. Gallen. These significant penalties for affluent offenders were enabled by a penal law overhaul, approved by Swiss voters three years prior, allowing judges to base fines on personal income and wealth for misdemeanours.
Under today’s rules, an indigent person might spend a night in jail instead of a fine, while the wealthiest in the rich Alpine country could be on the hook for tens of thousands.
A court in the Swiss canton of Vaud recently ruled that the tycoon must pay 10,000 Swiss francs ($12,300) up front and could be forced to pay the rest — 80,000 more — if he’s caught for a similar roadway infraction over the next three years.
Switzerland’s “24 Heures” newspaper first reported the case and said the man, who was not identified, was a French citizen listed by Swiss economic weekly Bilan among the 300 richest people in Switzerland — with a fortune in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
The daily reported that an automated police radar photographed the offender driving at 77 kilometers per hour (48 mph) in a 50 kph (31 mph) zone on a Lausanne street. A quick-calculating prosecutor tallied the maximum fine the driver faced under the law, the report said.
open image in gallery Lausanne enjoys panoramic views of the Alps enjoys panoramic views of the Alps ( Lausanne Tourism )
Vincent Derouand, a spokesperson for the Vaud public prosecutors office, said the defendant didn’t contest the decision, which was handed down in June for the infraction nearly a year ago — in August 2024.
The Vaud criminal code sets a maximum financial penalty based on the “personal and economic situation of the offender at the time of the ruling” — notably taking into account issues like income, fortune, lifestyle and family financial needs.
The newspaper reported that he had already been caught for a similar speeding infraction eight years ago, and also paid 10,000 Swiss francs in penalty and faced another 60,000 if another infraction had taken place within the following two years.
In Switzerland, penalties for speeding can even catch up with the cops: One officer was fined for racing at nearly twice the speed limit through Geneva streets back in 2016 while chasing thieves who had blown up a bank teller machine.