Overturned radar unit will have to be recalibrated

A radar speed control system of the Zug police got into trouble on Wednesday morning. The incident made a planned speed trap operation impossible – and it will not be able to be used again in the near future.

An overturned speed control radar unit was the reason for astonished looks in Zug on Wednesday morning: instead of photographing other road users, the Zug police facility on the Ägeristrasse in Zug suddenly found itself the subject of numerous private cameras.

After the accident, the semi-stationary speed measuring system couldn’t be used at the intended location: the speed camera had been so damaged in the accident that this was no longer possible, as the Zug police informed on Thursday on request. According to media spokeswoman Judith Aklin, the system could no longer be used "due to the mishap" on Wednesday. The speed camera in question will also not be able to register fast drivers, or even speeders, in the near future: before the system is used again, it must now be checked by the manufacturer. The electronics will also be recalibrated before it can be used again.

A source of amusement on WhatsApp: The Zug police radar trap
Photo: reader photo

Does the Zug Police have a replacement? There is no answer, for "tactical reasons"
On request, and for "tactical reasons", the Zug police would not reveal whether the semi-stationary speed camera that is temporarily out of action is the only one of its kind in the canton of Zug, or whether the police have other devices that they can now fall back on. They obviously don't want to give motorists the idea that they can speed without any worries in the next weeks!

The question of the possible consequences for the driver who carelessly caused the accident have also not been answered. This would have been a quite serious matter for a “civilian” driver.

Not the only breakdown of a radar system
Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident. The trailer on which the speed camera was loaded tipped over on a parking space during a turning manoeuvre (an excessive turning manoeuvre??). This did not lead to traffic obstructions, according to the police, and the roadside assistance then recovered the 1,300 kilogram unit.

In addition to the semi-stationary speed camera that got into problems on Wednesday in Zug, other radar systems have also made headlines in the past: Last spring, for example, an Aargau driver was ‘flashed’ at almost 100 km/h in Winterthur, after which he reversed his BMW into the measuring system. This was thereby pushed against the railings and garden wall of a property, causing damage of more than CHF 115,000 – in court, the driver said he wanted to delete the photo. Other faulty systems, including systems that flashed even when no cars were present, have also been reported recently in Central Switzerland.