Multi-millionaire in Europe receives six-figure fine for tailgating higher than price of brand new Porsche 911 Carrera GTS
- A Swiss lawyer got slapped with a massive fine for tailgating
- The country uses a ‘day fine’ system, where fines are proportionate to income
- He had to cough up the equivalent of a brand-new Porsche
Published on Mar 23, 2025 at 1:55 AM (UTC+4)
by Andie Reeves
Last updated on Mar 18, 2025 at 4:52 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
Would you rather spend six figures on a traffic fine or a Porsche 911 Carrera GTS?
One man didn’t really have a choice in the matter.
The Swiss lawyer got called out for tailgating on the A1 motorway near Zurich.
Luckily the multi-millionaire could afford the fine, but it turns out his wealth played a role in just how eye-wateringly high the fine turned out to be.
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Why you should never tailgate in Switzerland
While the Swiss are known for being neutral, they don’t mess around when it comes to the rules of the road.
A Swiss lawyer was following another car a little too close for the authorities’ liking on the A1 motorway.
In Switzerland, it’s recommended that cars maintain a distance of half the speedometer reading in meters, meaning if you’re driving at 120km/h, you should keep 60 meters back from the car in front.
Authorities allege he was between 26 and 40 feet behind the other vehicle.
Maybe he had a good reason to be so close, like the car in front of him had a digital screen on its bumper.
Or it was going too slow, worthy of being hit with the ‘slow poke’ fine Arizona is looking to implement.
He was slapped with a fine of 98,500 Swiss francs as well as 13,000 Swiss francs in court fees, which works out to $124,000 in total.
If this seems harsh, it’s because of the country’s ‘day fine’ system, where people are fined in proportion to their income.
So the lawyer can almost be flattered that his fine is so high; he’s clearly doing well for himself, earning about $2 million a year.
The Porsche 911 Carrera GTS that could’ve been
Had the lawyer not incurred this fine, he could’ve treated himself to a Porsche 911 Carrera GTS.
And a brand new one at that, not like the Carrera that had been left to rot under a fishing net.
At least he got off lighter than the person who got a $208,000 parking fine at the Berlin airport.
The driver contested his fine, arguing that his following distance couldn’t accurately be read from a video alone.
The court agreed to reduce it by a mere $5,000.
With the money he’s saved, the millionaire could almost buy TAG Heuer’s special Carrera edition watch.
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Andie is a content writer from South Africa with a background in broadcasting and journalism. Starting her career in the glossy pages of Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire, Andie has a broad portfolio, covering everything from sustainability solutions to celebrity car collections. When not at her laptop Andie can be found sewing, recording her podcast, taking board games too seriously or road-tripping in her bright green Kia.
