Tourist drives in the wrong direction on the A4 and suddenly turns around

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• A 65-year-old tourist makes a U-turn on the A4 and drives south against the direction of travel.
• The pensioner has to pay 1,800 francs for serious traffic violations and his driving license is confiscated.
• Thanks to the low traffic density and the intervention of other drivers, there is no accident.

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A 65-year-old tourist made a dangerous wrong turn as a wrong-way driver on the A4 near Seewen SZ. The pensioner from Poland, traveling in a Chevrolet, wanted to take the highway to Italy.

But instead of taking the right slip road towards Brunnen, he took a wrong turn at the traffic circle. When he realized his mistake, he made a U-turn in the acceleration lane. In the overtaking lane, he drove south in the opposite direction, as reported by the "Bote der Urschweiz".

Thanks to the low traffic density on the evening of July 6 last year, worse was prevented. Oncoming drivers warned the wrong-way driver and asked him to stop. After another turning maneuver, the tourist finally parked his vehicle on the side of the road.

The police confiscated his driver's license and seized 285 francs in cash, which was later deducted from the fine imposed.

Penalty for gross traffic violations

The Schwyz public prosecutor's office convicted the man of multiple intentional gross violations of traffic regulations, including turning on the highway and driving through a restricted area. The penalty order emphasized that the pensioner had caused a "serious risk of a head-on collision". The penalty imposed: 1,800 francs, consisting of a fine and procedural costs.

Although the wrong-way driving was potentially life-threatening, there was no accident. The police emphasized how important it is to act quickly and decisively in such situations. It is not clear from the penalty order whether the Polish tourist's driving license will be permanently confiscated.