Heavy penalty imposed on reckless speeder in Switzerland

A man of 33 was caught travelling at over 230 km/h on the A7 motorway in Switzerland near Weinfelden in the canton of Thurgau. According to the newspaper Thurgauer Zeitung, his children were in the back seat without proper child seats.
The driver, who was caught travelling at 231 km/h at the end of 2014 told the courts at his recent court appearance: “I had to go fast, the children were hungry”, adding: “I don’t know what happened exactly. All I know is that I made a huge mistake.”
When asked why he had his three children of 20 months, 4 years old and 8 years old travelling without proper children’s seats, he explained that the seats were in another vehicle, reported the newspaper.
The courts gave the 33 year old Macedonian national a 15 month suspended prison sentence and a CHF 7,400 fine plus court costs, and took away his driving license for two years. His BMW car was seized and sold at auction for CHF 1,700.
In 2013 severe penalties for speeding and drink driving were introduced in Switzerland under a program called Via Sicura. Penalties include confiscation of vehicle, up to four years in prison and in some cases permanent loss of license. Speeds that can result in a prison term depend on the zone. 70 km/h in a 30 zone, 100km/h in a 50 zone, 140 km/h in an 80 zone and 200 km/h on a motorway, all come with a minimum 2 year loss of license and prison terms