What does the safety barometer say?
Road traffic in Switzerland is in many respects among the safest in the world. This is shown by the Safety Barometer 2018 of the bfu - Swiss Council for Accident Prevention. It also reveals where there is potential for improvement: Pedestrians, cyclists and children still benefit too little from accident prevention. Financial incentive systems would be a possible approach to increase road safety.
Fewer and fewer fatalities and serious injuries: this encouraging trend in Swiss road traffic continues, especially for drivers. This is shown by the new bfu safety barometer. But there are weak points: Motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians are more at risk on the roads than in several comparable countries. Children are also excessively often injured in traffic accidents in Switzerland compared to other European countries.
Backlog in enforcement
Many prevention strategies are already very well implemented in Switzerland. The level of driver training and refresher courses is high. The legal regulations are well developed. However, there could be more control in some areas. For example, Switzerland is not a good example when it comes to driving under the influence of alcohol: 4 out of 10 drivers state that they have driven under the influence of alcohol at least once in the past year. In this respect, Switzerland ranks poorly within Europe.
Controlling behavior via the wallet
The bfu is pinning its hopes on financial incentive systems. Such prevention instruments are still used with restraint in Switzerland. One of many possibilities is insurance premiums that take personal driving behavior into account. Also, reduced motor vehicle taxes for cars with good safety systems - for instance Emergency Brake Assist - appear to make sense.
Everybody buckled up?
When an accident happens, tragic consequences can often be avoided with the right protective measures. These include seat belts and bicycle helmets. According to the bfu safety barometer, 95% of car drivers in Switzerland fasten their seat belts. Among backseat passengers, the figure is 84%; in a comparison over several years, the number is increasing.
Fast on the road without helmet
For the first time, the safety barometer shows the helmet-wearing rate for e-bikes: On fast e-bikes, on which helmet wearing is mandatory, 83% of the handlebars are wearing a helmet, and the trend is rising. For less fast e-bikes (without mandatory helmet use), the figure stagnates at 66%. From the point of view of road users, this is too little: a clear majority would be in favor of a mandatory bicycle helmet for all e-bikes. There is also room for improvement for ordinary bicycles: 46% wear a helmet. This figure has hardly changed in recent times. Press release bfu
The bfu safety barometer annually describes the level of road safety in Switzerland and its development.
