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Speeding Brits have sports cars confiscated by Swiss police

Zurich’s cantonal police stopped four UK nationals who were speeding on a Swiss motorway in their sports cars.

Published: 17 June 2024 11:07 CEST
Speeding Brits have sports cars confiscated by Swiss police
Not so fast: Four Bits were stopped for speeding on the A1 motorway. Photo: Pixabay

The police received several calls from other motorists saying  that four sports car were driving “at extremely high speeds” on the A1 motorway in the direction of Bern.

Police patrol units intercepted the offenders, who turned out to be tourists from the UK, near the municipality of Würenlos.

They were reportedly driving at over 200 km/h, which is 80 km/h over the posted speed limit.

The speeders, aged between 25 and 50, were arrested and their vehicles confiscated.

“After being questioned by the police, the four men were handed over to the public prosecutor’s office,” Zurich police said in a press release. 

They are now awaiting sentencing and to find out how much they will have to pay to get their vehicles back and whether they will actually be allowed to drive them home.

What kind of penalties await the speeders?

According to the Swiss Road Traffic Act, driving at 200 km/h in a 120-km/h zone (the usual speed limit on the country’s motorways) is considered a serious infraction, which can result in license revocation, though this applies to residents of Switzerland only.

However, motorists caught  ‘seriously’ speeding on Swiss roads will be slapped with a fine of at least several hundred francs (and in many cases even more), in addition to court fees. The fine can also be converted into a jail sentence, if offenders can’t, or choose not to, pay.

READ ALSO: How speeding in Switzerland will cost you money (and maybe your license)

It’s never a good idea for foreigners to speed on Swiss roads

The four men will eventually return to the UK (though, unlike their driving, Swiss justice system moves slowly), but consequences for those residing in Switzerland can be even more dire.

Take the case of a French national, for instance.

A longtime Geneva resident, the man had his request for Swiss citizenship denied because several year prior he was caught driving past a 40-km/h construction site at 80 km/h and was subsequently slapped with a 540-franc fine.

The naturalisation committee took his careless driving to mean than the man was “not successfully integrated” to merit a Swiss passport.

READ ALSO: Frenchman barred from Swiss citizenship over speeding offence 
 

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TRAVEL NEWS

Closure of A13 motorway: The alternative routes from Switzerland to Italy

As summer school break in many Swiss cantons is about to begin, your plans to drive south for the holidays may be seriously disrupted by the closure of one of the main routes between Switzerland and Italy.

Published: 25 June 2024 11:52 CEST
Closure of A13 motorway: The alternative routes from Switzerland to Italy

Italy is one of the most favourite summer destinations for many Swiss families: not only is it geographically close enough to get there by car, but it also has abundance of beaches and good weather is almost guaranteed.

But driving to Italy this summer, especially in the next few weeks, will be no simple matter.

Recent massive thunderstorms unleashed a landslide of mud and rubble, which destroyed a part of the north-south axis of the A13 motorway.

The collapsed section, between Thusis (GR) and Bellinzona (TI), is an important throughway for both passenger and commercial traffic, as it connects Switzerland with Italy.

The San Bernardino Pass, which straddles the A13, is consequently closed to traffic, as are the impacted parts of the motorway.

They will remain closed ‘until further notice,’ which is a general and non-specific term — primarily because nobody knows for sure.

According to the Graubünden cantonal police, this section will remain out of service “for months,” while the Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) said it expects “to be able to reopen the A13 in three to four weeks.” 

But even this slightly more optimistic forecast is not definite.

Roads will reopen within this timeframe “only under the assumption that there will be no ‘nasty surprises,’ according to FEDRO. “The clean-up work and reconstruction depends, among other things, on the weather.”

Either way, if you are heading south in the immediate future, expect, as Swiss media reported, “impending traffic chaos.”

To make matters worse, the cantonal road, which is normally used as an alternative, was also damaged by the storm, and is closed to transit and through traffic in both directions.

What alternative south-bound routes are there?

FEDRO recommends the Gotthard route — either via the tunnel or the Pass.

There are other options as well, though they will take longer:

In Switzerland:

  • Over the Oberalp and Lukmanier passes
  • Over the Julier and Maloja passes
  • Over the Albula and Bernina passes via Poschiavo
  • Over the Grimsel and Nufenen passes
  • Through the Lötschberg car transport and the Simplon pass
  • From the Brünig pass road via Grimsel and Simplon
  • Via Martigny over the Great St. Bernard

Alternative routes abroad, for which fees may apply:

  • Via South Tyrol
  • Via Geneva through the Mont Blanc tunnel
  • Via Geneva, Annecy and the Fréjus tunnel

Will you be able to avoid traffic jams on these alternate routes?

It is highly doubtful.

During the holiday season, there is almost always congestion and bottlenecks in front of the Gotthard Tunnel, the Great St. Bernard, and the Lötschberg.

Traffic could be lighter if you avoid peak travel hours and weekends, but don’t expect miracles.

You can find real-time information about traffic jams and road conditions here:

TCS

strassen.gr.ch

Should you travel by train instead?

It is always a good idea if you want to reduce your carbon footprint, and trains are typically a more relaxing and reliable way to travel.

Except this summer.

From June 9th, and for at least three months, the train service between Italian cities of Domodossola and Milan will be interrupted due to railway works, also disrupting travel between western Switzerland and Italy.

A bus service set up by Swiss national railway company, SBB, will run between the two cities, adding at least an hour to the trip in the best traffic conditions.

But train traffic to and from other countries — including France, Germany, and Austria — will be chaotic as well.

You can find more information about these disruptions here:

READ ALSO: Why you should not rely on trains to and from Switzerland this summer 

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