Photo radar tickets in Europe - Do I pay them?

[Rick Lee]

I've always blown these off in the past because the tickets from Germany always arrived weeks after their due dates and with no way to know what kind of late fee they'd tack on or if they'd then consider it paid or unpaid if I just paid the original fine amount sans unspecified late fee. Furthermore, my bank charges a $40 foreign wire transaction fee, making these tickets pretty expensive. I never heard from the rental car companies about these, never had a problem renting on my next trip, have had plenty of police interactions on subsequent trips, and so I'm pretty sure these just fell through the cracks.

I just got one from Switzerland, directly from the police 60 days after the infraction. They got me for 61 km/h in a 50 zone, gave me 5 km/h forgiveness and so for a net of 6 km/h over, the fine is CHF 120 or $141 USD. This is insanely expensive. I remember the flash, I was coasting down a hill, not at all in a hurry and with no one around and in the middle nowhere.

I thought I read in an old thread here that Dottore said Switzerland is pretty militant about collecting on there, while other countries aren't. I may drive into Switzerland again someday (years from now), but am almost positive I'll never enter via an airport. I rented this last car in Frankfurt and wonder how long a ticket in Switzerland can take to go stale. Any idea? Cloggie?

[Captain Ahab Jr]

100% pay if you're ever thinking of returning to Switzerland as Swiss authorities don't mess around, ruthlessly efficient too

Switzerland is the one country I never speed in when visiting as they take speeding very seriously so count yourself lucky you got away with a cheap ticket

[masraum]

$141 sounds like a cheap speeding ticket to me.

Especially for a jet-setting baller like you!

[Rick Lee]

For 6 km/h over? In the US you have to be going 11 mph or 19 km/h over before the camera even flashes. And a cop wouldn't even think of pulling someone over for that.

[Cloggie]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

I've always blown these off in the past because the tickets from Germany always arrived weeks after their due dates and with no way to know what kind of late fee they'd tack on or if they'd then consider it paid or unpaid if I just paid the original fine amount sans unspecified late fee. Furthermore, my bank charges a $40 foreign wire transaction fee, making these tickets pretty expensive. I never heard from the rental car companies about these, never had a problem renting on my next trip, have had plenty of police interactions on subsequent trips, and so I'm pretty sure these just fell through the cracks.

I just got one from Switzerland, directly from the police 60 days after the infraction. They got me for 61 km/h in a 50 zone, gave me 5 km/h forgiveness and so for a net of 6 km/h over, the fine is CHF 120 or $141 USD. This is insanely expensive. I remember the flash, I was coasting down a hill, not at all in a hurry and with no one around and in the middle nowhere.

I thought I read in an old thread here that Dottore said Switzerland is pretty militant about collecting on there, while other countries aren't. I may drive into Switzerland again someday (years from now), but am almost positive I'll never enter via an airport. I rented this last car in Frankfurt and wonder how long a ticket in Switzerland can take to go stale. Any idea? Cloggie?

Pay it, just hold your nose and consider it part of the experience. I think if you know what canton the ticket came from they have an online portal you can use to pay with credit card. Let me know if I can help with that.

Broadly speaking, lately things have gotten more integrated, I used to blow off some tickets I got while driving a rental car, but then the rental car companies such as Sixt and Enterprise started pursuing me directly as the authorities are demanding their pound of flesh from them if they don't get it out of me.

They started by sending me a notice to pay with an exorbitant admin fees about which I *****ed as did others I am sure.

Then they just started charging it to my credit card, which I am sure others *****ed about as well, considering corporate credit cards and all.

Now they apparently just give my personal info - including passport apparently to the authorities who contact me directly....so they have my info, so I pay - but at least no admin fees.

I know there is a growing level of communication between the various traffic authorities and if you chose not to pay, you may find yourself subject to a warrant of arrest which means when you enter Europe the border guys will identify it.
I know our Marechaussee have zero sense of humour and if there is a Swiss warrant flagged on your passport, they will put you in holding if not turn you around and send you home.

The reverse is also true. Colleague of mine stacked up Canadian traffic and parking tickets for years, laughed them off. Then the Canadian authorities wized up and put out a warrant.....and he got stopped at a routine Check Stop, rental car impounded and he got to spend a night as a guest of the Arsey Empee.
He to pay them ALL off plus interest, plus an additional fine. He was out out a few thousand by the time it was all done.
I suspect that the rental car companies also spilled the beans on the driver.....

D.

[masraum]

I suspect it depends upon where you are. I assume police in those countries treat kph like our cops treat mph. You're probably pretty unlikely to get a ticket for 6mph over in the US, but maybe if you're in a 35mph zone or it's the end of the month and the cop hasn't met his quota. It can happen. I've heard of folks getting pulled over for less. In those cases, I'm assuming the cop wants to pull over a specific person and is "looking for a reason".

I have very little experience with speed cameras.

Speeding tickets in my experience don't come cheap. In my little local town, a speeding ticket fine starts at $220 (0-10mph over) and goes up from there.

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

For 6 km/h over? In the US you have to be going 11 mph or 19 km/h over before the camera even flashes. And a cop wouldn't even think of pulling someone over for that.

You should go back to Switzerland and make that argument with the Swiss Magistrate where you got the ticket. You'll probably get the ticket thrown out.

[Captain Ahab Jr]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

For 6 km/h over? In the US you have to be going 11 mph or 19 km/h over before the camera even flashes. And a cop wouldn't even think of pulling someone over for that.

You were in Switzerland, what USA tolerates/does is irrelevant

Swiss hide speed camera's in parked car doors

Like I said they don't mess about, count yourselve lucky they gave you some free kph

[Rick Lee]

In reading some more on this, it looks like they have a three yr statute of limitations on this stuff in Switzerland. No chance I'll go back there in that time frame. I'll definitely be in Germany and Austria, but I'm not worried there. In fact, in 2022 I was stopped in German rental car by police in Austria. They found nothing about those old unpaid tix in German and I just paid that cop in cash for the infraction for which they stopped me there, near Graz. I got flagged down by border patrol in June crossing the bridge from Austria back into Germany, but they didn't ask for my ID, just wanted to chat. Never been hassled upon entry at any German airport for those unpaid tix.

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by Captain Ahab Jr

You were in Switzerland, what USA tolerates/does is irrelevant

Yes, I realize this. Just find it hard to believe such a tiny infraction is so expensive there. I was never once in a hurry or intentionally speeding there and I got passed by lots of cars. I have several close friends in Germany who are cops, even one who has had his DL suspended for too many radar camera tix. They all say there's some wiggle room before they'll even issue those camera tix. So you can get flashed and never receive one.

[Cloggie]

Originally Posted by masraum

I suspect it depends upon where you are. I assume police in those countries treat kph like our cops treat mph. You're probably pretty unlikely to get a ticket for 6mph over in the US, but maybe if you're in a 35mph zone or it's the end of the month and the cop hasn't met his quota. It can happen. I've heard of folks getting pulled over for less. In those cases, I'm assuming the cop wants to pull over a specific person and is "looking for a reason".

I have very little experience with speed cameras.

Speeding tickets in my experience don't come cheap. In my little local town, a speeding ticket fine starts at $220 (0-10mph over) and goes up from there.

Nah, it's a compliance thing, same as here.

They give you the free kmh's on the grounds that if you are good obedient citizen you would be within that tolerance - since you are over their generous wiggle room, you are now a miscreant who is deliberately flaunting their most excellent laws.

If were a Dutch ticket, you could argue till the cows come home and you'd still pay the fine - now with added court costs - on the grounds that you were obviously deliberately speeding over a generous tolerance.

The Dutch police - like the humans - will rarely pull you over for speed, they leave that to the cameras, the humans are generally looking for stupid behaviour like passing on the right, hogging the left lane, diving to an exit lane etc.
Don't do dumb **** and don't whiz past them at 40 over the limit and they will leave you alone.

I suspect the Swiss have decided what is safe for that stretch of road and that's the deal. You were over, pay the damned fine and learn your lesson.

D.

[Bill Douglas]

I think that's a cheap price to pay to make a problem go away. You never know the EU laws may change and you arrive in Holland and find there is a warrant out for your arrest for not paying Swiss fines. And you pay the fine, penalties and for a lawyer.

[Sooner or later]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

For 6 km/h over? In the US you have to be going 11 mph or 19 km/h over before the camera even flashes. And a cop wouldn't even think of pulling someone over for that.

You weren't 6 over. You were 11 over. They cut you some slack and gave 5 forgiveness. .

Just because it is a certain way in the US doesn't mean it is the same in others countries.

If you don't pay it just be sure you don't get caught again in the future.

[speeder]

$140 vs. the chance of getting stopped at customs and having your day ruined anywhere in Europe? I’ve met cheaper people than you, Rick…I just can’t remember when.

[oldE]

Similar story from our trip to France in 2015. 8 or 9 over, 5 kph grace so a fine of about 45Euro if I recall. I paid it immediately, as I knew we would be back at some point and didn't want any surprises. If I look at it against all the times I may have been, shall we say, outside the allowance, I got off cheap. There are some fantastic roads over there!

Best
Les

[look 171]

I have been caught in other countries especially in Canada by the cameras. I jsut pay it and be done with it because I was at fault. Not I don't feel so bad as I am always 15-20 over on our roads. Is this a great place or what. It sound like one can forget driving fast over their roads in Europe.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Have you thought of calling the US Embassy in Switzerland and launching a protest under the "I'm an a American, (I can do whatever I want/it's not like this in the US/it's not fair) overseas" doctrine?

$140 is nothing and it's for something you actually did.

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

$140 is nothing

The price of two beers in Switzerland.

[Rusty Heap]

Send them a package of Nathans Hot Dogs from USA!

[Rick Lee]

The real outrageous price we paid was for two train tix to the Jungfraujoch - $500. And it was less than hour away from Interlaken, where I got this ticket. Man, that was crazy expensive. But the engineering of those gondolas and trains sort of made it all understandable.