Whether it be decking out a tree, a living room or even the front of a house, nothing quite reminds people of Christmas like tinsel and fairy lights. Now, police in Switzerland have warned that a new trend, which sees drivers deck out their cars with festive lights, is not allowed on Swiss roads and motorways.
While you may see the odd red nose or antlers fixed to some cars on the road, some on the internet have decided to go one step beyond by taking their leftover Christmas decs and plastering them on their cars. Starting in America and recently catching on in Switzerland, the new social media trend called "Christmas tree cars" sees luxury vehicles fitted with bright Christmas lights and other festive regalia:
“I saw a video of a decorated car on my news feed and I wanted to do the same thing,” one video maker told 20 Minuten. His video alone has garnered hundreds of thousands of views on TikTok in the last week. In what turns out to be quite the foreboding statement, he concluded that he and his team "just don't know to what extent this is legal in Switzerland."
According to a spokesperson for the police in St. Gallen, although the cars are certainly cute, “You are not allowed to drive on the streets with a vehicle decorated with bright lights.” Hanspeter Krüsi told 20 Minuten that decking cars out in Christmas lights would be a distraction to other drivers, increasing the chance of a road accident.
“In Switzerland, everything attached to the vehicle must be approved,” he added, noting that while you could try and approve your colourfully lit vehicle at your local road traffic office, “Such a vehicle would never be accepted.” What’s more, anyone who is caught with these lights on their car could face fines amounting to hundreds of francs.