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Road accidents up last year, but long-term trend is down

cyclists on the road
30 cyclists were among those who died on Swiss roads last year, 6 more than in 2016 Keystone

A total of 230 people lost their lives on Swiss roads last year, 14 more than in 2016, but the trend since 2013 is down. 

Despite the rise in deaths on the roads in 2017, the figures have come down significantly since 2013, according to the Federal Office of Transport. In 2013 there were 269 fatal accidents on the roads, or 39 more than last year. 

The trend is also improving with regard to the number of seriously injured, which fell from 4,129 in 2013 to 3,654 in 2017. 

The Federal Office of Transport says this confirms the efficiency of road safety measures introduced by the authorities. 

+Learn more about transport safety in Switzerland

Last year, 78 car passengers died on the roads, up three from 2016. The other main victims were motorcyclists (51 deaths, up eight on 2016), pedestrians (47, compared with 50 in 2016) and cyclists (30 killed, up 6 on 2016).

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