The Local Switzerland

Swiss bidder pays record 160,100 francs for licence plate

Wed, 15 Mar 2017 11:55:49 +0100

The canton of Valais is 160,100 francs richer after an anonymous bidder bought the car licence plate VS 1 in an auction that finished on Tuesday.

How much can you transport on the roof of a car?

Mon, 12 Dec 2016 11:15:52 +0100

Quite a lot, judging by this photo. The modestly-sized vehicle was carrying a scooter, two baby strollers and 15 bicycles on its roof when Lucerne police stopped it on Saturday.

Young man killed in hit and run on Jura road

Mon, 14 Nov 2016 09:52:27 +0100

A driver hit and killed a 21-year-old man on a pedestrian crossing in the canton of Jura in the early hours of Saturday before leaving the scene.

Valais man caught driving 100km/hr over speed limit

Thu, 22 Sep 2016 12:13:26 +0200

A van driver in the canton of Valais was stopped on the A9 motorway near Sierre on Tuesday for driving at 223 kilometres per hour, more than 100km/hr over the speed limit.

Mother leaves toddler son alone in car to go clubbing

Tue, 20 Sep 2016 10:50:45 +0200

A mother is facing charges of neglect after leaving her toddler son alone in a parked car in Schaffhausen while she went to a nightclub.

Report: Geneva is Swiss capital of car theft

Thu, 11 Aug 2016 12:17:28 +0200

The rate of car theft in the canton of Geneva is six times higher than the Swiss national average, according to a new report.

Prison for Swiss speeder who drove over policeman’s foot

Thu, 04 Aug 2016 14:17:50 +0200

A 25-year-old driver who was caught speeding without a driving licence was convicted of multiple traffic offences by a Swiss court on Wednesday.

Swiss soldier fined after 'forgetting' about gun in car

Thu, 07 Apr 2016 12:44:28 +0200

A 24-year-old Swiss man has been fined nearly 9,000 francs by a court in Germany for accidentally smuggling his military-issue gun across the border.

Thieves leave the cars but steal their parts

Wed, 30 Mar 2016 13:51:58 +0200

Police have arrested three people for stealing parts from BMW cars worth 70,000 francs ($73,000).

Fake Swiss diplomat stopped for driving unlicensed Bentley

Wed, 16 Mar 2016 12:34:12 +0100

German police are investigating a Swiss man who presented a fake diplomatic identity card when he was stopped for driving a 200,000 franc Bentley without licence plates.

Rich Swiss youth burns Ferrari in fraud attempt

Fri, 07 Aug 2015 11:32:10 +0200

A German court has put the son of a Swiss millionaire on probation after he set fire to his Ferrari so that he could get another luxury vehicle on his insurance.

Girl, 5, dies after mum leaves her in boiling car

Wed, 22 Jul 2015 12:41:01 +0200

A five-year-old girl in the Swiss canton of Ticino has died after her mother left her alone in a boiling hot car, as Switzerland continues to sizzle in a record-breaking heatwave.

Futuristic Swiss-tuned supercar turns heads

Wed, 08 Apr 2015 10:25:36 +0200

Swiss tuning specialist Rinspeed has developed a concept for the future of cars, together with boffins from the small Austrian town of Gratkorn.

Horseplay triggers A1 motorway vehicle crash

Mon, 26 Jan 2015 21:31:00 +0100

Too much horsepower — literally — was blamed for causing a costly motor vehicle accident on the A1 motorway in the canton of Saint Gallen.

Federal Court: no tests for expat car drivers

Fri, 18 Jul 2014 14:17:00 +0200

Foreigners living in Switzerland cannot be asked to pass a Swiss driving test in order to swap their foreign driving licence for a Swiss one, regardless of when they apply, the Federal Court has said.

Youth causes pile-up during high-speed chase

Thu, 19 Jun 2014 13:18:00 +0200

A 17-year-old French resident who stole a car in Geneva and caused multiple accidents was apprehended on Wednesday near Morges in the canton of Vaud after a high-speed police chase.

Man killed in freak parking accident

Thu, 27 Feb 2014 14:29:00 +0100

A 41-year-old man has died while apparently trying to reverse his car into a parking space.

Geneva car show opens amid industry gloom

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 12:02:00 +0100

The Geneva International Motor Show opens this week amid a recession for the European car industry that shows little sign of easing.

'Doctor' steals taxi from Valais hospital

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 12:31:00 +0100

A man dressed as a doctor fooled a taxi driver and made off with his cab from a hospital at Martigny in the canton of Valais over the weekend.

Swatch plans car fuelled by hydrogen and oxygen

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 10:48:00 +0200

The world's biggest watch company Swatch is looking at building a car that runs on hydrogen and oxygen, its chief executive and chairman Nick Hayek said in an interview published on Sunday.