Society ::
St Gallen, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – A driver caught speeding at 137km per hour in an 80km zone in St Gallen has been sentenced to pay a CHF300,000 fine, calculated as a 130-day fine at CHF2,300 a day. The daily rate is based on his income. Half must be paid up front, and the other half is linked to good behaviour during a two-year suspended sentence.
Swiss voters in 2002 approved a system that went into effect in 2007, which replaces prison terms for certain crimes, such as speeding, with “day fines” based on income. The system has come under fire for not being sufficiently dissuasive, particularly where suspended sentences are used.
