We’ve just had word that Switzerland might finally remove the country’s ban on petrol motorsports – and if the revision is passed, Swiss will be able to experience fossil fuel races the like of which haven’t been present in the country since the mid ‘50’s.
There’s a reason for the ban, and it’s a good one. 67 years ago, the 1955 24-hour Le Mans suffered a horrendous accident, taking the lives of 84 unfortunates and injuring another 120. It was more than enough for neighboring Switzerland to call quits on all motorsports indefinitely, though a recent bid for electric races was approved in 2015.
Now, we’re told by MotorradOnline that a recent meeting of the Transport Commission of the National Council of Switzerland has just adopted “a revision of the Road Traffic Act…which means that the Commission [has also requested] the lifting of the race ban.”
The results will be revealed by the National Council in the spring, with the Council of States taking the following summer to make a final decision.
We’re likely to see the revision passed and approved, since vehicle safety has come a long way from what it was 67 years ago – though the report mentions that previous requests to have the ban lifted have been denied.
Should the bill be passed, changes will also purportedly come with a crack-down in speeding fines (Switzerland judges the price of a speeding ticket on how much you were going over with fine increases based on how wealthy you are. It’s a principle that’s stood them extremely well in previous years, but if they increase riding restrictions with this new revision, remember to keep your toes clean and no funny business…)
We will keep you posted on updates as they come down the pipeline; in the meantime, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter where our main man Cameron Martel curates wBW’s best of the best, twice a week, for easy evening reading.
Drop a comment letting us know what you think, and as always – stay safe on the twisties.