Common Causes of Road Accidents in Switzerland
Every year, over a million people in Switzerland are injured in non-occupational accidents. Road traffic accidents in 2018 resulted in around 81,000 injuries, with potential causes including inattentiveness, speeding, alcohol, vehicle handling, and distractions. Phoning while driving poses significant danger, with mental distraction being more hazardous than motor distraction. Drivers' response distance when distracted can lead to serious consequences, emphasizing the importance of staying focused while on the road. Legal aspects related to using mobile phones while driving are also highlighted.
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Presentation Transcript
Swiss Council for Hodlerstrasse 5a, 3011 Berne Accident Prevention info@bfu.ch bfu.ch Company, event, date Name Don t be distracted.
Non-occupational accidents in Switzerland, 2016 Every year, more than one million people are injured on the roads, during sports and activities as well as in and around their homes. 2
Accidents in road traffic, 2018 Around 81 000 injuries 3873 serious injuries 233 fatalities Source : BFU, STATUS 2019 3
Potential causes of road traffic accidents Serious injuries and fatalities, 2017 Potential cause Number in % Disregarding right of way 1067 26 1153 28 Inattentiveness/distraction Speed 715 17 Alcohol 431 10 Vehicle handling 353 9 Influence of drugs/medications 130 3 4
Common causes of distraction Distraction by stimuli outside the vehicle (e.g. attractive views, people, advertising) Talking to passengers Eating and drinking Smoking Making or answering phone calls Operating vehicle devices (e.g. sat nav) and entertainment media (e.g. radio, CD player) Reaching for a moving object (e.g. bottle) 5
Phoning while driving Around 1 in 4 drivers use a mobile phone handset at the wheel at least occasionally; 3 in 5 use a hands-free system. (Source: 2019 population survey) Phoning while driving is 4 to 5 times more dangerous than undistracted driving. In this respect, there is no significant difference between using a hands-free system and holding a mobile phone in your hand! The mental distraction is greater than the motor distraction. 6
Response distance while distracted driving Drivers usually react within 2 seconds. At a speed of 50 km/h, a driver who is briefly distracted and takes 3 seconds to react will travel almost half the length of a football pitch before even starting to brake. The response time when writing a text message is around 7 seconds as long as it takes to travel 200 metres on the motorway, or the length of more than two football pitches. 7
Legal aspects Phoning while holding a mobile phone is prohibited: fine CHF 100. Phoning with a hands-free system is permitted, providing compliance with Article 31, Section 3 SVG (Swiss Road Traffic Act): the driver must control the vehicle at all times in a manner that allows him to fulfil his statutory obligations. 8
Legal aspects Driving while phoning without a hands-free system or writing a text message at the wheel and not being in control of the vehicle can have consequences: Penalties (imprisonment and/or fines) Administrative measures (e.g. licence withdrawal) Accident insurance benefit cuts (daily allowance) 9
Getting there safely Be prepared before you set off: Switch your mobile phone to voicemail or airplane mode Set the radio to your favourite station, insert a CD or connect your music player Programme your sat nav 11
Getting there safely Pay attention to the following while driving: Keep your attention on the traffic. Refrain from activities that might distract you. Completely refrain from making or answering phone calls. Using a hands-free system is distracting too! Don t read or write text messages. Park in a safe place if you need to do something that might cause distraction! 12
More information Find more accident prevention tips at www.ratgeber.bfu.ch. 13
