An electrical bypass device has two electrical conductors electrically insulated from one another and arranged such that two surface regions of the conductors are spaced apart from one another by a gap. Above the surface regions is a bypass element having at least one electrically conductive layer in the form of or connected to a mechanical energy store. The mechanical energy store is transferable by thermal triggering from a first mechanical state to a stable second mechanical state in which the electrically conductive layer of the bypass element makes electrical contact with the surface regions and shorts the two electrical conductors. Above the surface regions is a reactive element where an exothermic reaction can be triggered, resulting in the mechanical energy store transferring to the stable second mechanical state.