Keystone-SDA
Mario Cavegn, member of the Directorate of the Accident Prevention Office (BPA), believes that the objective of the Confederation in terms of number of accidents is in danger. It is up to the policies to take action, he told the “Südostschweiz”.
(Keystone-ATS) “In recent years, there have been rather counterproductive decisions that are concerned about us,” said the head of road traffic at the accident prevention office (BPA) in the interview published on Saturday by the German-style title.
M.Cavegn cites examples of the sale of alcohol on the motorway areas and the lowering of the age limit for motorcyclists. During a meeting with the federal traffic commissions, he shared the point of view of BPA.
Figures even higher than the objective
The objective of the Federal Road Office (OFROU) is to reach a maximum of 100 dead and 2,500 injured serious per year by 2030, he said. Last year, 250 people lost their lives in a road accident in Switzerland, the highest figure since 2015, the OFROU said in March.
The number of serious injuries has clearly decreased. In 2024, nearly 3,800 people were seriously injured in a road accident, about 300 less than the previous year. This is the lowest figure for five years, according to OFROU.
The lowering of the minimum age to lead a motorcycle of 125 cm3 clearly had an impact: between 2021 and 2023, the number of accidents in the age group of 16-17 year olds has more than doubled compared to the period 2018-2020, as shown by the analysis of OFROU.
Passage to automated driving
According to Mr. Cavegn, the “stress due to the density” of road traffic has recently increased and will continue to do so in the future. However, it is possible to constantly reduce the number of accidents. In the interview, Mr. Cavegn evokes measures that feed his optimism, such as emergency braking systems. “We are in a transition phase towards fully automated driving”, according to him.
However, the expert points out that the assistance systems are currently only co -pilotes. Ofrou works to integrate knowledge on these new systems in driving training. “Everyone must know what their vehicle can do – and especially what he cannot do. »»
