Transport accidents

In 2021, there were more than 17 000 transport accidents with casualties. More than 220 people lost their life, 200 of them in road traffic accidents, 8 in railway accidents and 10 in aviation accidents. For shipping, the only data available are on public shipping. One fatality was registered in 2021.

A historical comparison shows that among the main transport modes, the number of deaths has fallen markedly since the 1970s.

Key figures on transport accidents
Road accidents
Accidents with casualties 17 436 2021
Persons killed 200 2021
    Change –66% 2000–2021
Persons seriously injured 3 933 2021
Persons slightly injured 16 601 2021
Railway accidents
Accidents with casualties 53 2021
Persons killed (excl. suicide) 8 2021
    Change –72% 2000–2021
    Passengers killed 0 2021
Other transport accidents
Persons killed in civil aviation accidents 10 2021
Persons killed  in aerial cableway accidents 2 2021
Sources: FEDRO, FSO – Road accidents (SVU); FOT – New occurrence database; STSB – Aviation accident statistics

Risk comparison

The danger of a fatal accident varies from one mode of transport to another. Railways are by far the safest with regard to distance covered: on average, in the past ten years (2011 to 2020) there was one death per 98.0 billion person-kilometres covered, i.e. 2.4 million orbits around the Earth. The passenger car is also a relatively safe mode of transport, whereas travel by bicycle and motorcycle is far more dangerous. If, however, the risk of death is measured not in terms of kilometres travelled but by the length of time travelled, the risk by bicycle is lowered considerably.

Further information

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Statistical concepts

Contact

Federal Statistical Office Section Mobility
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https://www.bfs.admin.ch/content/bfs/en/home/statistics/mobility-transport/accidents-environmental-impact/transport-accidents.html