Almost 200 people die a year in Switzerland doing sport

An average of 185 people die every year while playing sport Keystone-SDA

Every year, an average of 185 people die while playing sport in Switzerland. Most of the fatal sports accidents occur in mountain sports, followed by snow sports and water sports, according to the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention.

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In the past 24 years, more than 4,400 people have died in sports accidents in Switzerland, the council reported on Tuesday. On average, this amounts to 185 fatalities a year, although the figures vary greatly from year to year.

The reason for the differences is mainly due to the weather: almost all fatal sports accidents occur outdoors. In a year with many fine days, more people do sport outside and more accidents occur.

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By far the most fatal sports accidents occur in mountain sports: on average, 84 people lose their lives each year. Several dozen people are also killed every year in snow sports (38) and water sports (31). The Swiss Council for Accident Prevention points out that mountain, snow and water sports in particular are very popular and are therefore practised regularly by a large number of people.

In all sports except equestrian sports, significantly more fatalities, namely 82%, are male. According to the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention, men participate in certain sports more frequently than women and are generally more willing to take risks. It points out it is important to do sport according to your physical and technical abilities, to make sure you have the right equipment, and to take a break or even to stop if in doubt.

Translated from German by DeepL/ts

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