Fatal sports accidents - a review
Do more fatal sports accidents occur on the ski slopes or while hiking? The balance sheet of the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention shows what is going on.
The survey of fatal sports accidents in Switzerland is a basis for the Swiss Federal Accident Prevention Bureau (BFU) in its prevention work: For 20 years, the organization has published the annual publication "Survey of Fatal Sports Accidents". During this time, a total of 3676 people lost their lives while playing sports in Switzerland. The annual fluctuations are large, which in the case of outdoor sports such as mountain hiking, skiing or swimming is mainly due to meteorological factors, as the BFU writes. In addition, the popularity of individual sports has changed over the past two decades, it said. If the population practiced a certain sport more often, the number of fatal accidents also tended to increase - and vice versa.
Fewer deaths on ski slopes
The development in skiing is striking. Since the first publication, the annual number of fatal accidents on ski slopes in Switzerland has decreased. From 2000 to 2009, a total of 72 people were killed in skiing accidents, whereas from 2010 to 2019 the figure was 46. This can be explained by the benefits of prevention, but also by the slight decline in the number of days spent skiing.
Off the slopes, the picture is different: The fact that touring skiing has become more popular was reflected in the statistics. From 2000 to 2009, according to the data, there were a total of 136 fatal accidents, between 2010 and 2019, there were already 210 victims. Here, too, the fluctuations are large, depending on the weather and snow situation.
Dangerous mountain sport
Hiking and mountain walking are the most common causes of fatalities. Mountain sports have become even more popular in recent years - more than half of the local population goes hiking at least once a year. From 2010 to 2019, a total of 582 people died in the process; in the previous ten years, the figure was 459.
A reverse trend can be observed in mountaineering: The number of fatal accidents fell from 333 in the decade before last to 238 in the past decade.
Tips
At bfu.ch/sport there are tips for more than 70 sports on how to reduce the risk. Based on scientific findings and statistical changes, the BFU selects and adapts its prevention programs. The organization acts as an advisor in the planning and construction of safe sports infrastructure, raises awareness of accident prevention among coaches, course leaders, event organizers and sports participants, and shows how to protect oneself from injury.
Source: AAIB
