Radar Catches Repeat Offender At Twice The Speed Limit, But They Don’t Give Two Quacks

This could be the same duck, or perhaps it’s the offspring of the bird from 2018

• A duck was photographed at 32 mph (52 km/h) in an 18 mph (30 km/h) area.

• Seven years ago, the same camera also caught a duck flying pass at 32 mph.

In Europe , some countries take a relaxed approach to speeding laws, until you hit Switzerland, where they have zero tolerance. Speeding fines here are serious business, and they can even be based on your income. This can make for some eye-watering penalties, especially for those with deep pockets.

However, in particular incident, near the capital of Bern, police will have a hard time catching a particular speeder: it’s a duck, and as far as anyone knows, it doesn’t have a salary to penalize.

A photo shared by the town of Koniz on Facebook shows a duck zooming past a fixed radar camera in the area. The speed limit is a modest 30 km/h (about 18.6 mph), but the duck was clocked at 52 km/h (32 mph) at 7:54 p.m. on April 13, 2025. Had this been a car, the driver would have received a rather unwelcome letter in their mailbox.

What’s particularly strange about this case of speeding is that it’s not the first time a duck has been caught flying past this very same radar at high speed. Rewind exactly seven years to April 13, 2018, and the very same camera nabbed a duck flying past at exactly the same speed: 52 km/h (32 mph). A photo was snapped of the duck at 7:31 p.m., meaning there’s almost exactly seven years between these two images.

Naturally, the initial reaction was to wonder if this was an elaborate April Fool’s joke. However, the local police quickly quashed those suspicions, clarifying that the radar system is rigorously maintained and inspected every year to ensure accuracy. No tricks, no gimmicks, just a fast-moving duck.

Now, the question on everyone’s mind is whether this is the same duck from seven years ago. According to the police, this particular speedster is a mallard, a species known for living anywhere from 5 to 10 years in the wild.

So, it’s entirely possible that the original speedster has returned for an encore, or maybe it’s a new generation following in its fast-flying footsteps. Perhaps the 2018 duck had a duckling, and now the younger bird is carrying on the family tradition of breaking the speed limit. Whatever the case, it seems some ducks just can’t resist the need to speed.