3.468 drivers flashed by faulty speed camera in Switzerland

Thousands of drivers in Switzerland were in for a shock when a speed camera mistakenly flashed them for speeding after it failed to recognise a change in speed.

Speed camera in Switzerland mistakenly flashes thousands 

In Neuchâtel, on the Route des Gouttes-d’Or, 3.468 cars were “flashed by mistake” after a speed camera ran into a technical issue, a spokesperson for the Neuchâtel police told Arcinfo, reported by Watson.

After planned roadworks were completed in the city, the speed limit was increased from 30 to 50 kilometres per hour (km/h), and the camera was believed to have been adjusted to reflect this. However, “due to a technical problem, the radar remained set to a 30 km/h speed limit”, according to the police. 

Drivers avoid paying speeding fines

Unfortunately, anyone travelling at the new 50 km/h speed limit may have been puzzled and mildly panicked when the camera flashed them for speeding. “The police were inundated with calls and messages”, continued Arcinfo. 

Luckily, drivers did not have to pay a speeding fine, which can range from 20 to 260 Swiss francs or even result in a court summons. No fines were issued to the drivers, and the speed camera was deactivated on April 18.

Speeding fines in Switzerland can also vary depending on the situation. In 2025, a multimillionaire was hit with a 90.000-franc fine for speeding in Lausanne, and in 2010, a Swiss man broke the world record with a fine of around 190.000 francs.