Switzerland has once again proven that even the thickest wallets are powerless before the law, after a local court imposed a record fine that went straight into the Guinness Book of Records. The main character in this expensive drama owns a classic Ferrari Testarossa, whose pleasure in speed cost him an unimaginable 246,200 euros. The reason? The pilot of the Italian “jewel” flew at 137 km/h in a zone where the limit is only 80 km/h.
In most countries, such an offense would end with a solid, but fixed amount. In the land of watches and chocolate, however, the rules are different. There is a system of "daily fines" in place, where the amount of the penalty is calculated based on the net worth and income of the offender. The logic of Swiss justice is ironclad: the punishment should hurt both the ordinary worker and the multimillionaire equally. Money cannot be an indulgence for breaking the rules.
In this particular case, the court in St. Gallen found that the owner of the Ferrari had assets worth about 19.3 million euros. Add to that the fact that this was not his first "heavy step" on the gas pedal, and the magistrates were merciless. A repeat offense in Switzerland is a serious aggravating circumstance, which automatically shoots the fine into the stratosphere.
Paying a quarter of a million euros for a few seconds of adrenaline is certainly a bitter pill to swallow, even for a person with similar capabilities. The court is categorical that the combination of high speed, enormous wealth and previous offenses leaves no room for leniency. Thus, this case has become a landmark example for the whole of Europe of how social status does not provide immunity on the road.
For the Swiss police, this is yet another confirmation that their prevention system works flawlessly. And for the owner of the Ferrari Testarossa - this is probably the most expensive drive of his life, which will be remembered not only by him, but also by the world record statisticians.