Road deaths show sharp decline
Road deaths in Switzerland have dropped 82 per cent in 35 years, the second biggest decrease in Europe, according to a report released on Thursday.
The Touring Club of Switzerland said only the Netherlands had a higher reduction in deaths between 1971 and 2006. Fatalities have been on the decline across western Europe, it said.
Lowering the allowed blood-alcohol level to 0.5 parts per million combined with more testing of drivers could be the reason for the drop in deaths on Swiss roads, said Stefan Siegrist, deputy director of the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention.
Other reasons for the decrease could include better motorways, safer cars and lower speed limits. Driving too fast is the cause of one third of all accidents in Europe, the council noted.
In 2006 there were 63,358 accidents on Swiss roads that killed 370 people.
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