Multi-millionaire caught speeding in Lausanne, hit with 90.000-franc fine

In Switzerland, driving fines are calculated according to your assets and income. So, if you’re a multi-millionaire and you’re caught speeding, you can reckon on getting a pretty hefty fine. That’s what happened to a wealthy French businessman who was caught out by a speed camera in Lausanne. 

Huge fine for multimillionaire caught speeding in Switzerland

A French driver caught doing 77 km/h in a 50 km/h zone last year was recently handed down a fine of a whopping 90.000 francs, according to a report in 24 heures.

The reason why the fine was so big? The justice system in Vaud takes into account the defendant’s financial resources when calculating the fine, and this speeder just so happened to be one of the 300 richest people in Switzerland, Bilan reports, with an estimated fortune of several hundred million francs. 

And because the driver was going nearly 30 km/h over the speed limit, which qualifies as a serious violation of road traffic regulations, the penalty was allowed to be exceptionally harsh. 

Driver was previously fined 60.000 francs

Interestingly enough, it’s not the first time this particular driver has been caught, according to 24 heures. Eight years ago, he was convicted of the same offence, and at that time was given a fine of 60.000 francs! 

This time, he has been asked to pay 10.000 francs upfront, and the rest of the fine has been suspended for three years. That means if he is caught ignoring speed limit signs again in the near future, it will be very expensive for him. 

Although hefty, the fine is nowhere near the biggest ever given out in Switzerland. Back in 2010, a Swiss man caught by police driving at 137 km/h broke the world record with a fine of around 190.000 Swiss francs.