Police in Switzerland are wondering who to fine for speeding after cameras showed the perpetrator that crushed the country's speed limit was no driver, but a low-flying duck in a hurry.
Authorities in the western Swiss town of Köniz, two miles outside the city of Bern, posted a screenshot of the bird soaring in the middle of the street, around the same time that roadside sensors tracked a violation of the speed limit.
The animal was moving well above the region's permitted top speed, flapping its wings at 32 miles per hour in a zone with an 18 mph limit. Even subtracting the 5 kmph (3 mph) margin of error, the bird is still in violation of the town's road rules but will likely escape punishment.
Read More: A Mexican presidential candidate nicknamed El Bronco wants to cut off thieves' hands
"It is unclear where the speeding ticket is to be sent," local authorities wrote on Facebook along with an image of the duck and a tongue-in-cheek request for suggestions on how to bring the culprit to justice.
The case has made headlines across Switzerland, but, as French regional newspaper L'Est Républicain highlights, it is not quite a unique offense. A low-flying parrot caused a similar stir in 2016 in neighboring Germany for its speedy antics.
Roadside cameras snapped the exotic bird accelerating at low altitude near the German town of Zweibrücken, less than 200 miles from the site of the speeding duck. Authorities had only recently installed the anti-speeding equipment and were puzzled when they could see no car on the road at a time when sensors indicated that something had violated the speed limit by 8 mph.
A closer look at the footage revealed that the sensors and cameras were both showing a correct reading, as a parrot has zoomed through the empty road at high velocity.
Zweibrücken's parrot is still no match for Köniz's speedy duck, however. The smaller bird's top speed of 27 mph is still well below the latest avian traffic violation. Neither bird has faced charges.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
I am a Staff Writer for Newsweek's international desk. I report on current events in Russia, the former Soviet Union ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
