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Swiss road accidents drop to 1950 levels

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Swiss road accidents drop to 1950 levels
Clemens v. Vogelsang

 

The number of road accidents leading to personal injuries fell below 20,000 last year for the first time since the 1950s.

 

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According to newly published figures from the Federal Statistics Office, 327 people died and 4,458 were seriously injured in last year’s 19,609 road accidents – with the number of crashes down 4 percent compared to 2009.

The downward trend is expected to continue, the office said, with the number of victims on the road falling from 834 to 327 (-61 percent) since 1992.

Some 1,410 people, almost a third of the victims in road accidents were travelling in a car at the time, while 1,283 were motorcyclists, the office said in a statement.

The number of pedestrians caught up in crashes is on the rise, with 781 cases in 2010, compared to 764 the year before. For them, the most dangerous season is winter, while for motorcyclists and cyclists the majority of accidents happen in summer.

The main cause of accidents is reported to be general negligence, but also little driving experience and distractions, caused for example by passengers, animals on board, the use of radio and telephones, or even sneezing.

 

 

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