Switzerland Motorway: 120 km/h — Where Speeding Can Be a Crime

Motorway speed limit in Switzerland: 120 km/h.

The most expensive place in Europe to speed

Switzerland keeps its motorways at 120 km/h — there are no autobahn-style open stretches here — and backs it with the toughest enforcement on the continent. Fines are calculated from your income, so the same offence costs a high earner far more; the country’s Raser law turns serious speeding into a criminal case, and once you’re much past 15 km/h over, the penalties climb steeply. Two traps for visitors: radar-detector devices and warning apps are illegal and will be confiscated along with a fine, and you need a motorway vignette on the windscreen before you drive a single kilometre of motorway. Set the cruise at 120 and enjoy the scenery.

Complete Speed Limit Guide for Switzerland

Switzerland enforces different speed limits depending on the type of road and vehicle.

| Road Type | Cars | Trucks |

|———–|——|——–|

| Urban | 50 km/h | 50 km/h |

| Rural | 80 km/h | 80 km/h |

| Motorway | 120 km/h | 80 km/h |

Urban Speed Limits

The urban speed limit in Switzerland is 50 km/h for passenger vehicles. Watch for variable speed signs in city centres.

Motorway Speed Limits

The maximum speed on Switzerland’s motorways is 120 km/h for passenger vehicles.

Trucks and heavy vehicles are limited to 80 km/h on the same roads.

Speeding Penalties

Get caught speeding in Switzerland? Here is what it costs:

• 1-5 km/h over: CHF40 CHF

• 6-10 km/h over: CHF120 CHF

• 11-15 km/h over: CHF250 CHF

• 16-20 km/h over: CHFIncome-based CHF

What Most Guides Don’t Tell You

Enforcement Reality

Speed enforcement in Switzerland is aggressive. Camera networks cover motorways, urban arteries and rural trunk roads.

The typical enforcement tolerance is around 3 km/h above the posted limit. Anything beyond that triggers an automatic fine.

Foreign-registered vehicles are actively tracked. Rental cars make enforcement even simpler because the hire company forwards your details to the authority.

Cross-border fine collection is active. An unpaid ticket does not disappear when you leave the country.

Officers can demand on-the-spot payment. If you cannot pay, your vehicle may be impounded until the fine is settled.

Truck Speed Limits

Heavy vehicles on Switzerland motorways are capped at 80 km/h, creating a speed differential of 40 km/h with passenger cars. Be alert when overtaking or merging.

Mandatory Equipment

A speed check often turns into a full vehicle inspection. Make sure you carry a warning triangle. Missing any of these items is a separate offence with its own fine.

Alcohol and Speed

With a BAC limit of 0.05, Switzerland is stricter than many destinations. Driving after even one drink and exceeding the speed limit can lead to a double penalty.

How Switzerland Compares

Key Facts at a Glance

More Resources

• Full Driving Rules for Switzerland

• World Speed Limit Map

• Speed Unit Converter

• Speeding Fine Calculator