A 27-year-old woman driving on a Swiss highway has admitted to police that the flash of a speed camera woke her up as she zoomed at 210 km/h.

"/> A 27-year-old woman driving on a Swiss highway has admitted to police that the flash of a speed camera woke her up as she zoomed at 210 km/h.

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Speed camera flash wakes speeding driver

A 27-year-old woman driving on a Swiss highway has admitted to police that the flash of a speed camera woke her up as she zoomed at 210 km/h.

Published: 14 June 2011 11:12 CEST
Speed camera flash wakes speeding driver

The Macedonian woman, who as travelling with her husband, two children and the kids’ grandmother, was stopped by the police in Wil, near St. Gallen after a speed camera signaled her excessive speed.

The woman admitted that she had dozed off while driving at 210 km/h before the speed camera woke her up, the Corriere del Ticino newspaper said. Her driving license was confiscated, the paper said. 

Switzerland’s network of speed cameras has been growing in range and sophistication in recent years. Last year, officials unveiled a new model that could simultaneously monitor the speed of 22 cars in four lanes of traffic, as well as spot other driving offices such as driving in bus lanes, tailgating and overtaking in a dangerous manner.

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DRIVING

Where should you take your car for service and repairs in Switzerland?

If you own a vehicle, sooner or later you will need to have some work done on it. But it is important to know who in Switzerland can provide the best service.

Published: 29 August 2023 15:57 CEST
Where should you take your car for service and repairs in Switzerland?

There is certainly no shortage of garages or auto mechanics in this country, who are ready and willing to work on your car.

In all, there are 16,232 garages across Switzerland, most of them located in the Zurich area, with Bern in the second place. 

However, regardless of where in Switzerland you happen to live, chances are there is a car mechanic in your area.

That’s a good thing, of course, but a mechanic — no matter how skilled — may not be able to do all the repairs you need.

Garages versus dealerships

A lot depends on what exactly ails your vehicle.

If you need regular maintenance or service — which usually includes checking the brakes, suspension, steering, exhaust, oil, fluids, and lights, as well as performing an overall safety check — then any reputable garage can do the job.

Also, if you have been involved in an accident and need body work (on your car, not yourself), then a garage that has a bodywork shop will be a good fit.

Can you have your car repaired or serviced at a different garage from the one where you bought it?

According to Comparis consumer platform, “you are free to choose any garage. Minor repairs in particular, such as changing a windscreen wiper or buffing out a scratch, can basically be done anywhere.”

The only exception would be if your auto insurance excludes free choice of garage. and you must use only ones that your provider works with. 

(This is as good a time as any to remind you that car insurance is obligatory in Switzerland).

READ ALSO: Everything you need to know about car insurance in Switzerland

However, there are times when you should not take your vehicle to just any garage, opting instead for the authorised dealer of your car’s brand, or its partner garages — especially when the car is still under the manufacturer’s warranty.

Why is this important?

 “Our partners undergo specialised training provided by the importer and hold licenses as mandated by the manufacturer,” Lucas Alvarez, a spokesperson for Hyundai Switzerland, told The Local.

“This meticulous preparation ensures that any warranty-related work can only be executed by these authorised partners,” he added.

This is valid for all manufacturers, regardless of the brand.

If you are not sure where these manufacturer-approved garages are in your area, go on the manufacturer’s Swiss website and contact their customer support team.

How long do these repairs take?

They could take a while, and not only because this is Switzerland.

The timeframe depends on what needs to be done, but prepare to be patient.

The pandemic had disrupted production cycles, with manufacturers having cut back orders for spare parts. There are also fewer automotive parts from Ukraine-based suppliers.

“It is unfortunately still the case that electronic parts require a certain delivery time and are also partly on backorder, so it may well be that it takes several months to receive certain parts,” Alvarez said. “Like most car manufacturers, we are dependent on the respective suppliers.
 

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