Ok, not one of my finer moments...I got flashed last month (get your mind out of the gutter, you ) by a speed camera in Basel coming in from Germany. I was driving a rental car, and the rental agency just sent me in the mail what looks like a bill from the Kantonspolizei.

I was clocked at 89 kph in an 80 kph zone. The fine (60 CHF / 40 EUR) is not worth fighting over or getting in further trouble by not paying it, since I'd like to go back to Switzerland even though I hate speed cameras. Trouble is, I'm in the states and the form has payment info for European banks. The form also has (on the back) a form to fill out with some personal info that I'm not too keen on giving out. The payment form has some writing about a Konto-No. and Kontoinhaber. Unfortunately, my German is nowhere near good enough to fully understand this form.

What is the usual way to handle this? Would a US bank know how to deal with this, if I paid them the equivalent in dollars to pay the fine in euros, do they have the ability to make payments to foreign banks?

Or, could any of my German or Swiss friends send me a PM, and I can explain further, maybe even emailing you a scanned copy of this?

Moral of the story, don't speed in Switzerland!

Usually the rental car company pays the fine and charges your credit card automatically.

For that 'low' SFr 60 fine you are not obliged to give the police the name auf the driver, only the name of the bank account holder that the money comes from is asked for.

Usually the swiss police gives you 30 days payment grace period - after that the 'case' is forwarded to court and the fees and charges increase 'dramatically'.

If you want me to pay that SFr 60 amount for you in Switzerland, contact me by FlyerTalk email (and then send me the papers by air mail) - and in return I will give you my HSBC USA account number to pay me the equivalent US$ amount in your country.

Nice gesture...

You could use PayPal for reimbursement!!

the fine is paid ^ (SFr 60)

speeding fines on swiss motorways (speed limit is 120km/h)

Please come again, 'we' (our economy) really need your money!

1-5 (121-125 km/h) = 20.-- CHF simple fine (no registering of drivers name)
6-10 = 60.-- CHF simple fine (no registering of drivers name)
11-15 = 120.-- CHF simple fine (no registering of drivers name)
16-20 = 180.-- CHF simple fine (no registering of drivers name)
21-24 = 260.-- CHF simple fine (no registering of drivers name)
************************************************** ****
the following speed limit excess usually leads to an immediate withdrawal of your driving license:
25-29 = 380.-- CHF fine, plus 'having to go to court'
30-34 = 550.-- CHF fine, plus 'having to go to court'
35-39 = 10 Tagess�tze* + 700.-- CHF fine, plus 'having to go to court'
40-44 = 15 Tagess�tze* + 900.-- CHF fine, plus 'having to go to court'
45-49 = 20 Tagess�tze* + 1'100.-- CHF fine, plus 'having to go to court'
> 50 = 30 Tagess�tze* + 1'300.-- CHF fine, plus 'having to go to court'
************************************************** ****
* per 1 Tagessatz = (approx) an estimated one day net-income of the 'culprit'

And a hearty Thank You very much. ^

I'll work with you via private email for the repayment.

Switzerland is still on the last of favorite places, only more so now by trains and planes than automobiles. You don't get pulled over for speeding on the train.

my own speeding experience some years ago in the USA was better.

in a rental car we (Gisela and I) did drive from Colorado Springs south to New Mexico (Santa Fe and then Taos for skiing there).

On that motorway (in the middle of 'nowhere) a police car behind me made me stop and told me that I did exceed the speed limit by 19 miles. After looking into my papers etc they noticed that I am a Swiss tourist in a rental car and did let me go with the advice fron now on to not exceed the speed limit more than by 9 miles and to enjoy this holiday trip without regret.

Unfortunately, speed cameras don't offer the luxury of police officer discretion. This is one reason why I don't like them. I'm glad the officer was reasonable.

Now that this is resolved satisfactorily, we'll park it over in the Europe Forum where it can be readily referenced in the future.


__________________________

Cholula
OMNI Co-Moderator

I suspect that not having paid this fine would have had zero consequences--even in future trips to Switzerland.

By the way, based on observations in Switzerland, it is ALMOST impossible to get a speeding ticket.

Congrats, OP!

That was very kind of you Rudi! Nice to see FTers taking care of other FTers!

One of the best of the originals!

Heh, that's nothing. I got a 400CHF fine for riding my bicycle on a one way while using my mobile.

thank you very much etch5895 for your very generous credit to my US bank account.

Sorry for dragging this thread out from the depths.

I have a fine from a alleged flash come through to my UK address on the 06/05/2011.

It's for 180 CHF's. If I take the slip into my UK bank can they pay it there?

Regards,

Kernow

I would take issue VERY strongly with this.

Just three examples.

1. DS took girlfriend and cousin to Lucerne on a day trip from home in France. Two months later, a speeding fine with a substantial add-on for non-payment arrived at our house addressed to my husband, whose car DS was using. We paid up. We haven't quite let him forget it.

2. Many years ago when I was at work in France, two local policemen turned up with a speeding ticket from the Swiss police for my colleague who was often away in a hired vehicle for business purposes. They were serving this fine officially for an event that had taken place 9 months' earlier, but had taken time to track down the driver via the rental company. Fine paid. Some embarrassment, and a bit of teasing.

3. Another colleague was flying BSL-LGW with Easyjet. When he came to the security point where his passport was checked - non-Schengen flight - the immigration officer called the police who then marched him to an ATM where he took out enough SFr to pay an unpaid speeding ticket. It was either that or miss his flight.

These three situations are true and should serve as a warning. Please heed the Swiss speed regulations or you'll find yourself with a tidy sum to pay even if you only did a few km over the limit. And the police WILL catch up with you even if there's a time lapse.