New minimum sentences for first-time speeders in Switzerland

A driver caught speeding in Ticino, southern Switzerland, has received a conditional fine instead of the conditional prison sentence imposed at first instance. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The Federal Court confirmed this ruling by the Court of Appeal. It corresponds to the new regulation that came into force in October 2023. The driver was traveling at 188km/h where the speed limit was 100km/h. In November the Ticino Court of Appeal converted the conditional prison sentence of 12 months imposed at first instance into a conditional fine. This was permissible, according to the Federal Court in a ruling published on Monday. The new provision in the Road Traffic Act stipulates that first-time offenders can be punished with a fine instead of a minimum sentence of one year's imprisonment for speeding offences. The condition is that the offender has not been convicted in the past ten years of a felony or misdemeanour involving a serious risk to the safety ...