Speeding tickets may or may not seem intimidating depending on what kind of driver you are. Each state itself can be more strict or more relaxed on speed limits, but that isn’t always true for other countries. Going the speed limit is always the best, safest option — even if it isn’t always the most fun, or you have a tendency to mismanage time and end up running late often — but the unlucky recipient of the world record for the largest speeding ticket had to learn his lesson on car safety the hard way.

The largest speeding ticket

The record is so impressive that it made its way into the Guinness Book of World Records in January 2010 and hasn’t been broken in the past decade. While the driver’s name remains anonymous, the details of his hefty $290,000 speeding fine aren’t quite as big of a secret. Yes, you read that right, the ticket itself for speeding alone totaled to a jaw-dropping $290,000. That makes the fine more expensive than a brand new Lamborghini Huracan, Ferrari 488GTB Convertible, or a McLaren 650S Spider.

Why was the speeding ticket so high?

The recipient of the speeding ticket may not have been caught breaking any land speed records, but that isn’t what caused the ticket to be so high. In the country where the record was set, St. Gallen, Switzerland, where fines for outrunning the speed limit aren’t set values. Instead, fees are accessed based on the individual’s wealth, and according to the courts that happened to equate to an almost $300,000 fine. You’ll at least be satisfied to know that he was at least driving a red Ferrari Testarossa.

Not to worry

Your chances of ever receiving a speeding ticket this high are almost nonexistent. In the United States there are a lot of laws regarding speeding tickets and fines that would prevent you from receiving such an impressive, and absurd, speeding ticket. Regardless, you can still get some pretty hefty fines, jail time, and even have your car impounded if you speed, and to some people that could be much worse.

Like we said before, your chances of getting a speeding ticket worth some new supercars are incredibly low, but it’s never zero. Stay safe and drive the speed limit — yes, even you, new mid-engine Corvette C8 owners.

If you want to be disappointed, this ticket wasn’t even for an extravagant speed. Rather, the driver was caught doing 85mph in a 50mph — far from anywhere near how fast the fastest cars in the world can get. While it doesn’t seem like a fair fine for such a mild crime, Guinness also points out that this wasn’t his first ticket either. With his net worth calculated at $22.7 million dollars by the court that year, maybe driving fast is just worth the price to him.