Demographic shifts are a main cause of the rising numbers: as the population ages, so does the risk of being fatally injured in such an accident, the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention (BFU) said on Tuesday.
According to the BFU, 1,700 people in Switzerland die in falls every year; this number increased by 20 per year over the last decade. The BFU also noted an increase in fatal suffocations, which increased by an average of three per year to reach a current annual total of 135.
Overall, the number of fatal accidents at home and in leisure time has risen by an average of 31 annually to a total of 2,100 a year.
The average age of people killed in such accidents is 82. The average age of people killed in traffic or sports accidents is 53.
According to the BFU, there has been no change in the number of children killed in accidents over the last ten years. Every year, 14 children die in accidents at home and during leisure time, half of whom are infants and toddlers. Children are particularly at risk of fatal injury from suffocation, drowning and falls from a height.
One of the biggest dangers, of which many parents are unaware, is drowning, the BFU says. Only a fifth of parents or caregivers are aware that small children can drown silently, without giving any signs.
Adapted from German by DeepL/dos
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, if you want to learn more about how we use technology, click here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
Popular Stories
More
Workplace Switzerland
Meet the foreigners who make up a quarter of the Swiss population
Bodycams: essential for good law enforcement, or a privacy risk?
Did you ever come across bodycams in your place of residence and if so, how do you think the use of bodycams alter the relationship between the public and (transport) police?
What do you think Switzerland’s Alain Berset can bring to the Council of Europe?
The former interior minister is to become the first Swiss Secretary General of the Council of Europe – which issues should his five-year term focus on?
Swiss signatures scam: firms also acted without a mandate, authorities say
This content was published on
Some professional signature-gathering firms acted without a mandate, before pressuring committees to accept names, the Federal Chancellery says.
Swiss researchers find new highest peak in Jura mountain range
This content was published on
The Crêt de la Neige, a French peak not far from Geneva, has lost its title as the highest in the Jura to the newly-discovered “J1”.
Swiss health insurers: premiums could rise by 5% in 2025
This content was published on
The association of Swiss health insurers, Santésuisse, expects another hefty hike in premiums next year as costs keep growing.
Parliament gets closer to finalising new digital ID scheme
This content was published on
Both chambers of the Swiss parliament have now approved the legal basis and credit for the latest attempt at an electronic proof of identity.
Majority of Swiss against immigration ban, survey finds
This content was published on
While almost two-thirds of Swiss are worried about the population reaching 10 million, three out of five are against a ban on immigration.
Tariq Ramadan convicted of rape by Swiss appeals court
This content was published on
A Swiss court has overturned the acquittal of the prominent Islamic scholar on charges of rape and sexual coercion against a woman.
UBS weighs wealth tie-up to compete in Indian market
This content was published on
The Swiss bank is exploring various wealth management partnership options in India, where competition is intense, Bloomberg reports.
This content was published on
On Monday, one of the two chambers of parliament in Bern voted to immediately stop payments to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
Swiss politician resigns after firing shots at Jesus picture
This content was published on
Zurich politician Sanija Ameti has been heavily criticised and reported to the police after firing shots at a picture with a Christian motif.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.