Tailgating checks in Switzerland: fines, seconds rule & licence withdrawal
Followed too closely? How Swiss police measure the gap in seconds, when a fine or penalty order follows and when you lose your licence.
Quick answer: how does distance measurement work in Switzerland?
Swiss law sets no fixed number of metres. It requires a “sufficient distance” so that you can stop in time even if the vehicle ahead brakes unexpectedly (Art. 34(4) SVG, Art. 12(1) VRV). Police, prosecutors and the road traffic office judge whether the gap was enough in seconds – usually measured on video over several hundred metres on motorways and expressways.
- Sufficient (rule of thumb): “half the speedometer” in metres = 1.8 seconds, or the 2-second rule (Federal Supreme Court, e.g. BGE 131 IV 133).
- Serious: on motorways, 0.6 seconds or less (“1/6 of the speedometer”) is the benchmark for a serious traffic offence (Art. 90(2) SVG).
- No fixed fine: tailgating is not in the fixed-fine catalogue. It leads to a report, a penalty order and usually a notice to the road traffic office – up to a licence withdrawal, depending on the seconds measured.
The basic rules on following distance, braking and stopping distance are covered in Following distance in Switzerland. This article answers the question many drivers search after a check: what happens if a distance measurement catches me?
What the law requires: a “sufficient distance”
Art. 34(4) SVG requires a sufficient distance towards all road users – especially when passing oncoming traffic, overtaking, driving side by side and following another vehicle. Art. 12 VRV makes this concrete for following:
- Para. 1: the gap must let you stop in time even if the vehicle ahead brakes unexpectedly.
- Para. 2: sudden braking and stopping are only allowed if no vehicle follows – or in an emergency. The driver in front has duties too.
- Para. 3: in slow traffic, do not stop on a pedestrian crossing or on the carriageway of cross traffic at a junction. That one is a fixed fine of CHF 60 (items 335/336 OBV).
Because the wording is open, the courts developed rules of thumb. What counts is always the overall situation: speed, road, traffic and visibility, and the vehicles involved.
Seconds, not metres: how the police calculate
What is measured is the time gap to the vehicle ahead. The formula published by the canton of Basel-Landschaft:
Gap in seconds = gap in metres × 3.6 ÷ speed in km/h
| Speed | 1.8 s (“half speedo”) | 0.8 s | 0.6 s (“1/6 speedo”) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80 km/h | 40 m | approx. 18 m | approx. 13 m |
| 100 km/h | 50 m | approx. 22 m | approx. 17 m |
| 120 km/h | 60 m | approx. 27 m | 20 m |
Example: a 25 m gap at 120 km/h gives 25 × 3.6 ÷ 120 = 0.75 seconds. That feels like “five car lengths”, yet it is already in the range where cantons file a report. How speed stretches your stopping distance: Speed limits in Switzerland.
How is the gap measured?
There is no classic “speed camera” for tailgating. Common methods:
- Video systems on bridges or masts: since late 2022 the St. Gallen cantonal police has run a video control system (VKS). The camera sits at least three metres above the road, records several hundred metres and calculates speed and gap by distance/time in an analysis zone of about 140 m. A case is only proposed if the threshold is undercut twice there; officers review every case.
- Following with a video car: unmarked police cars film the gap over a longer stretch; the footage is analysed afterwards – sometimes with an expert report in court.
Important: brief undercuts when changing lanes or when someone cuts in front of you are taken into account in the driver’s favour. What is prosecuted is typically close following over a longer stretch.
Fine or criminal proceedings? What you face
Unlike parking or minor speeding, tailgating has no fixed fine in the OBV catalogue. It always goes to the public prosecutor as a report, followed by a penalty order – plus fees.
- Simple traffic offence (Art. 90(1) SVG): a fine. In St. Gallen, gaps of 0.8 to 0.6 seconds are reported as a contravention; according to an article by the St. Gallen bar association, the local prosecutor’s guidelines usually mean about CHF 300 plus roughly CHF 250 in fees.
- Serious traffic offence (Art. 90(2) SVG): below 0.6 seconds St. Gallen treats it as a misdemeanour – a monetary penalty in daily rates, possibly with a criminal record entry. The Federal Supreme Court found about 10 m at over 100 km/h over 800 m (approx. 0.33 s) to be serious (BGE 131 IV 133).
Each canton sets its own amounts, but the seconds thresholds follow federal case law.
Licence withdrawal after tailgating
Alongside the criminal case, the road traffic office of your home canton decides on an administrative measure (Art. 16a–16c SVG). Basel-Landschaft publishes this practice for first offences:
| Gap | Measure (BL, first offence) |
|---|---|
| more than 1.20 s | no administrative measure |
| 0.81 to 1.19 s | warning (minor offence) |
| 0.61 to 0.80 s | at least 1 month withdrawal (medium) |
| below 0.61 s | at least 3 months withdrawal (serious) |
The Federal Supreme Court confirmed 0.8 seconds (max. 26 m at 124 km/h over several hundred metres) as a medium offence (judgment 1C_183/2013). With prior measures it gets longer – see the cascade in Licence withdrawal in Switzerland. On a probationary licence, a withdrawal for a medium or serious offence extends the probation period by one year: Probationary licence in Switzerland.
Practical tip: if you want to challenge a withdrawal, you usually have to do so in the criminal proceedings already. Accepting the penalty order generally means accepting the facts for the road traffic office too.
Typical situations where it gets tight
- Left lane “pushing”: closing up on the overtaking lane to push the car ahead away quickly means under 0.6 seconds. Overtaking on the right is no solution – see Overtaking in Switzerland.
- Queues and the end of a jam: closing every gap leaves no buffer when the front brakes. In a jam, also remember the emergency corridor.
- Tunnels: the rule applies there too. The court rated 0.32–0.56 seconds in a motorway tunnel as serious; “nobody brakes in a tunnel” did not count.
- Distraction: a glance at your phone at 120 km/h means dozens of metres driven blind – gap and phone at the wheel go together.
- Poor visibility, wet roads, snow: “half speedo” is only the minimum in good conditions. In rain, fog or ice you need clearly more.
What the theory test asks
The basic theory test does not ask for a fines table. It tests the principle: you must be able to stop in time even if the vehicle ahead brakes unexpectedly. Typical traps:
- “There is a fixed number of metres”: wrong. The law requires a “sufficient” gap; rules of thumb are half speedo or 2 seconds.
- “The same metres are fine at higher speed”: wrong. Same seconds = more metres at higher speed.
- “The driver ahead may brake hard at any time”: only in an emergency or if nobody follows (Art. 12(2) VRV) – but if you follow, you must still expect an emergency stop.
- “Tailgating is a small fixed fine”: wrong. It means a report and often consequences for your licence.
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FAQ
What distance is required on Swiss motorways?
No fixed figure. According to the Federal Supreme Court, “half speedo” in metres or about 2 seconds is sufficient – roughly 60 m at 120 km/h.
When are you reported after a distance check?
Each canton decides. St. Gallen reports gaps below 0.8 seconds (0.8–0.6 s contravention, below 0.6 s misdemeanour).
How much does tailgating cost?
No fixed fine, but a penalty order. For a simple offence in St. Gallen about CHF 300 plus fees; for a serious offence a monetary penalty in daily rates.
Can tailgating cost you your licence?
Often, yes. Under Basel-Landschaft practice (first offence): 0.81–1.19 s warning, 0.61–0.80 s at least 1 month, below 0.61 s at least 3 months.
How do I convert my gap into seconds?
Metres × 3.6 ÷ km/h. Example: 30 m at 100 km/h = 1.08 seconds.
Does a brief moment after someone cuts in count?
Short undercuts when changing lanes or in dense traffic are considered in the driver’s favour; close following over a longer stretch is what gets prosecuted.
Sources
- Road Traffic Act (SVG, SR 741.01): Art. 34(4), Art. 15a(3), Art. 16a–16c, Art. 90(1) and (2)
- Traffic Rules Ordinance (VRV, SR 741.11): Art. 12(1)–(3)
- Fixed Fines Ordinance (OBV, SR 314.11): items 335, 336 (no fixed-fine item for insufficient distance)
- Federal Supreme Court: BGE 131 IV 133; judgment 1C_183/2013; BFU summaries
- Canton of Basel-Landschaft traffic police: “Abstandsverstösse”; St. Gallen cantonal police: report on the video control system
Note: not legal advice; the applicable legislation, cantonal practice and the individual case are decisive.
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