The sale and purchase of anti-radar devices is banned in Switzerland
The sale and purchase of anti-radar devices is banned in Switzerland
"I've bought a GPS that alerts me to the presence of fixed speed cameras and police checks, which are reported in real time by other motorists and not detected by the device itself. I've heard that this type of device is legal in France, but not in Switzerland, so what's the situation?
Samy, Geneva
Under article 57b of the Federal Road Traffic Act, equipment and devices that warn drivers of radar checks and enable them to avoid being reported for exceeding the speed limit are prohibited, regardless of how they operate.
More specifically, the law prohibits the marketing, acquisition, advertising or installation of devices that can make official road traffic control more difficult, disruptive or even ineffective. The law also prohibits the simple act of carrying such devices in vehicles, attaching them to them or simply using them.
It is clear from federal case law that the legislator's aim in enacting these standards was to ban all devices that allow speeding while escaping police sanctions.
The situation in Switzerland could get even tougher between now and the end of the year under the federal "Via Sicura" project. The latter plans to supplement the law on road traffic with regulations that will also prohibit any warnings to the public, in particular by broadcasting announcements on the radio, television, in newspapers, on posters or on the internet. One of the direct consequences will be that the police themselves will no longer be able to report speed checks.
In France, the situation is different. The ban only applies to radar "detectors". Radar "warnings", on the other hand, are authorised. The difference lies in the fact that the detector "listens" to the waves and thus disturbs them, whereas the radar detector simply uses GPS and public information. This second category of device knows the position of speed cameras, as well as their limits, and warns you if you are overtaking them. The type of GPS you have purchased is therefore legal in France, whereas it is prohibited in Switzerland.
