The prefect's powers
The prefect's powers
"I inadvertently crossed a white line coming out of a stop sign. The police stopped me and told me I'd be hearing from the Prefect. Can you explain to me what I'm exposing myself to and why my case falls under the remit of the Prefect as if I were a hit-and-run driver?"
P, Vaud
The Road Traffic Act stipulates that everyone must obey signs and markings. According to point 306.3 of appendix 1 of the ordinance on fines, failure to proceed in the direction indicated by the arrow, including crossing a safety line delimiting two traffic lanes, is punishable by a fine of CHF 100.
Vaud's Road Traffic Act states that, subject to the powers of the municipal authorities, the Prefect is responsible for punishing traffic offences. The municipal authorities are responsible for offences committed within localities, with the exception of failure to observe safety lines.
It is therefore the Prefect who has jurisdiction in the case you describe, and you should shortly receive a payment slip for CHF 100 to be paid within 30 days. In accordance with the system set out in the law on public fines, if you comply with this time limit, no account will be taken of your background or personal situation and you will not have to pay any additional charges. On the other hand, if you do not pay the bill, the ordinary procedure will be initiated, which will involve, among other things, additional costs.
As far as speeding is concerned, it is worth pointing out that the scale of penalties has been severely tightened in recent years, in the interests of public safety. From now on, anyone who, by intentionally infringing the basic rules of the road, accepts to run a high risk of an accident that could result in serious injury or death, whether by committing particularly high levels of speeding, by reckless overtaking or by taking part in illegal speed races with motor vehicles, will be punished by a custodial sentence of between one and four years. This type of offence therefore falls within the jurisdiction of the criminal courts. This is particularly the case where the maximum authorised speed has been exceeded by at least 40 km/h where the limit was 30 km/h, by at least 50 km/h where it was 50 km/h, by at least 60 km/h where it was 80 km/h or by at least 80 km/h where the limit was over 80 km/h.
