A 20-year-old driver has been caught speeding at over 240 kilometres per hour on a motorway in Switzerland. Swiss police confirmed that the driver from Zurich has been referred to prosecutors and his driving licence has been revoked.

Young racer drives at twice the speed limit allowed on Swiss motorways

At 9.30pm on May 29, on the A3 near Adliswil, Canton Zurich, an unmarked police car was driving in the fast lane of the motorway when a car suddenly approached from behind. The emergency services noted that the 20-year-old man behind the wheel was impatient and harassed the police car by closing up behind the vehicle and shining his lights at them on full beam.

Once the patrol car switched lanes, the driver powered off into the distance. Traffic police, already clocking him over the speed limit and fearing a road accident, raced after him. In the chase that followed the young driver registered speeds of 249 kilometres per hour while racing between cars and obstacles, at one point going more than double the speed limit.

Speeding driver has car impounded and licence revoked

Cantonal authorities confirmed that the police only caught the driver as he slowed to turn off the motorway. The man was arrested and referred to the public prosecutor for further charges. His driving licence and car were also taken away.

The advent of so-called “boy racers” has sparked a new debate about horsepower limits for young drivers in Switzerland, an idea that is now being debated by the government. Road safety groups like RoadCross have also used this event and others like it to rail against the government’s decision to relax speeding laws, as they argue that being more lenient with drivers that push the limit will only lead to more accidents.