Small traffic offenses can cost you your shirt, not only in Finland, but also in other European countries.
In March last year, a police patrol in Switzerland spotted a BMW 540d traveling at 124 km/h on the A1 motorway where the speed limit is 100 km/h. Even worse was that he was only 8-12 meters behind the car in front, reports the Swiss news site Blue News.
The officers observed the BMW for several kilometers and chose to stop the car and fined the man
In Sweden, the fine would probably be SEK 2,400 for speeding and SEK 2,000 for the short distance.
In Switzerland, fines for minor traffic offenses are also calculated according to income. The BMW driver works as a lawyer with an annual income of 1.7 million Swiss francs, equivalent to roughly 20 million kroner.
Therefore, he received a traffic fine of 108,500 Swiss francs, corresponding to just over SEK 1.3 million.
In Sweden, the maximum amount for traffic offenses is 150 daily fines of SEK 1,000 each, i.e. SEK 150,000.
The Swiss lawyer was naturally unhappy and, being the top lawyer he is, he took the matter to court.
He sought to have the case overturned by arguing that video is not an appropriate method of judging distance and the stop was not made properly.
It didn’t work out even though the BMW driver tried to push the matter all the way to the Supreme Court. In addition to paying SEK 1.3 million in fines, the BMW driver must also pay the court costs and the legal assistance he hired.
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Anders received SEK 1.4 million in speeding fines
