Number of serious traffic accidents has increased
Swiss road traffic was considered safe for several decades. The current safety barometer of the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention (BFU) now indicates a trend reversal. The number of serious injuries increased last year.
According to the current safety barometer of the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention (BFU), Swiss road traffic is not getting any safer. Thus, the number of seriously injured people in 2021 has already risen to 3933 accident victims (including 200 traffic fatalities). According to the statistics, an average of 79 people are injured in road accidents every week.
More serious injuries occurred last year, especially among pedestrians and users of e-scooters and slow e-bikes. Senior citizens aged 75 and over who were traveling on foot were also affected by more serious accidents. Young motorcyclists aged 17 and under were also affected by more serious injuries. The AAIB attributes this to a political decision: since 2021, 15-year-olds have been allowed to ride motorcycles and scooters up to 45 km/h, and 16-year-olds already have access to 125-cc machines.
Compared to other European countries, car drivers in Switzerland are generally safe. The situation is different for pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists. Here, there are countries with a lower accident rate. In half of the European countries, fewer cyclists would be killed - measured in terms of population - than in Switzerland.
The BFU believes that decision-makers, road owners and prevention actors have a duty to act. The spread of safety-oriented driver assistance systems should be increasingly promoted. In addition, the consistent introduction of 30 km/h speed limits on major roads could prevent one third of serious accidents.
