Zug,22.03.2017

Fewer road traffic accidents recorded in 2016

Over the course of 2016 there were 872 road traffic accidents recorded on the canton’s roads, 28 fewer than in the previous year. Tragically, two people died as a result, two men, one coming off his motorcycle on Chamerstrasse in Rotkreuz and another riding an e-bike who was involved in a collision with a cyclist on the Chamer Fussweg. What is also encouraging is that the number of people seriously injured in such accidents fell by 4 to 49.
 
Of these 872 accidents, 272 related to skidding or were those in which no other vehicles were involved.  As Karl Walker of the Zug Police mentioned, it only takes one small incident to have a serious knock-on effect on many other roads in the canton, as he recalled the build-up of congestion resulting from an incident at the end of October when an articulated lorry crashed into a bridge support on the motorway.
 
In 177 cases, accidents were caused while cars were being parked and 172 accidents were caused by people driving into the back of the car in front.
 
Indeed, as Walker went on to say, many drivers drive far too close to the vehicle in front, bearing in mind the speed they are travelling at. “If drivers slowed down, many of these accidents could have been avoided,” he said. Many of these accidents occurred on the motorways, where there is heavy traffic, particularly in the mornings and evenings.
 
Alarmingly, as many as 322 accidents were caused by people being distracted at the wheel, resulting in 123 sustaining injuries.
 
It was also noted how many pedestrians crossed roads while concentrating more on the SMS they were writing, and how many cyclists were out an about with headphones, not to mention drivers with a mobile phone at their ear while on the motorway. “While advances in technology have improved communication in so many ways, they have also had a very negative impact on road safety,” said Stephan Rogger, the head of Zug’s traffic police. “The risks of using them have been massively underestimated,” he added, as he warned, too, that this year, too, police would be looking out for offences in this area in particular.
 
What was more pleasing to report was that fewer accidents were caused through drivers under the influence of drink or drugs, down from 41 in 2015 to 37 last year, 111 inebriated drivers being able to be stopped before it came to an accident.
 
As the statistics were revealed, news came in on Tuesday that a 5-year-old girl had been hit by a vehicle driven by a 59-year-old motorist on a pedestrian crossing in the Oberwil area of the city. While the child was taken to hospital, she was not seriously injured.