Deaths on Swiss roads continued to decline in 2009, but one group is crashing more frequently than others for the first time — middle-aged male motorcyclists.
This content was published on
1 minute
The Federal Statistics Office released annual figures on fatal traffic accidents on Friday that showed 349 people in total lost their lives on Swiss roads last year – eight fewer than in 2008.
The report also found 4,708 people were seriously injured. The number of alcohol-related traffic accidents continued to decline, with 56 people killed in 2,000 accidents.
Over the past decade the number of non-commercial vehicles on the road has increased by 13 per cent. But the number of deaths in 2009 was 41 per cent lower than in 2000. Three out of every four fatalities are men, the Statistics Office said.
But the number of motorcycles on the roads has nearly doubled since 2000, many of them owned by riders over 40 years old. In 2009 more than 1,200 motorcyclists in this age group riding machines bigger than 125cc crashed. For the first time, younger riders crashed less frequently than their older brethren with about 1,100 accidents reported among motorcyclists aged 18-39.
Despite the overall decline in fatalities and accidents, the government has proposed dozens of wide-ranging measures to improve road safety.
swissinfo.ch and agencies
Popular Stories
More
Aging society
No house generation: the impossibility of buying property in Switzerland
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Road accidents fall to record lows in 2008
This content was published on
The Swiss Council for Accident Prevention said the number of deaths was seven per cent lower than in the previous year and the number of injured was down nine per cent. It described the figures in a statement on Tuesday as “historically low”. The Council said the positive trend, in particular for pedestrians and motorcyclists,…
This content was published on
Days after the incident the Swiss government tightened rules governing car seats, approving plans to make them compulsory for children up to to 12 years old. They are presently only required for children aged up to seven. The Touring Club Switzerland (TCS) said the death of the three-year-old in Zurich was a “really sad situation”…
This content was published on
The government wants young people to undergo a mandatory two days of extra training during this time as a way of cutting the high number of road accidents caused by new drivers. The new rules affect all those who apply for their first provisional licence for cars and motorcycles after December 1. Officials say the…
This content was published on
But cocaine use is growing rapidly among motorists, with the percentage of drivers testing positive for the stimulant nearly double that found just a few years ago. Maria-Cristina Senna, a doctor from Lausanne University hospital, and her team recently studied 4,794 blood samples police had gathered from people suspected of driving under the influence of…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.