Swiss take to the ice on the frozen Oeschinen Lake, at an altitude of 1,578 metres
Keystone
Some 3,600 ice-skaters require medical attention every year in Switzerland, with almost nine out of ten injured people being men.
This content was published on
1 minute
Keystone-SDA/ts
The Swiss Council for Accident PreventionExternal link said most accidents involve people falling over, causing bruising, cuts and lacerations, broken bones or concussion. Elbows, wrists, heads and knees are the body parts at most risk.
Every fifth injury is to the head, the council said on Thursday, adding that a helmet – be it a ski helmet, bicycle helmet or special ice-skating helmet – would halve this figure. As a result, 350 people a year could be spared injuries and their consequences.
The council’s latest safety campaign therefore recommends the wearing of helmets, firm gloves and protective measures such as knee and wrist supports. It also told skaters to let go of their partner immediately if they fall.
In this video, part of the campaign, skaters are urged to ignore casts “which can be really annoying” and wear a helmet:
What factors should be taken into account when inheriting Swiss citizenship abroad?
Should there be a limit to the passing on of Swiss citizenship? Or is the current practice too strict and it should still be possible to register after the age of 25?
François Bocion painting fetches record at Swiss auction
This content was published on
The oil painting La chasse aux grèbes by Lausanne artist François Bocion (1828-1890) fetched a record CHF270,250 ($315,530) at an auction in Basel in early April, the highest price ever paid for one of his works.
This content was published on
One in six homes in Switzerland is located in a zone threatened by natural hazards, a new study by Zürcher Kantonalbank (ZKB) has revealed.
This content was published on
The prices of owner-occupied properties continued to rise in the first three months of 2025. But large regional disparities remain.
Swiss Solidarity charity launches appeal for earthquake victims in Myanmar and Thailand
This content was published on
Swiss Solidarity, the humanitarian arm of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), has launched an appeal for donations for victims of the recent earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand.
Swiss finance minister to meet European counterparts to discuss trade tariffs
This content was published on
Swiss Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter will take part in a meeting of the EU's economics and finance (Ecofin) ministers in Warsaw, Poland, on Friday to discuss trade tariffs and economic growth in Europe.
Trump tariffs: Swiss economics minister holds talks with US trade representative
This content was published on
Swiss Economics Minister Guy Parmelin held talks with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on trade relations and tariffs on Monday.
US storm continues to sweep through Swiss stock market
This content was published on
The Swiss stock market continued to trade in the red mid-afternoon on Monday, following in the wake of the world's stock markets, which fell heavily as a result of the trade war launched by Donald Trump.
This content was published on
The referendum committee announced in Bern on Monday that it had collected more than 60,000 signatures against the e-ID project. The initials still need to be approved.
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.
Read more
More
Mandatory bike helmet advocates face uphill battle
This content was published on
“I support mandatory bicycle helmets for everyone,” Reto Babst, head of trauma surgery at the Cantonal Hospital of Lucerne, told swissinfo.ch. “I see so many accidents with bikes – even normal bikes, not just e-bikes – where people haven’t worn a helmet.” Every year around 900 people are seriously injured on bicycles in Switzerland, with…
Concussion: FIFA and Swiss leagues put their heads together
This content was published on
Christoph Kramer, Javier Mascherano and Pablo Zabaleta all played on despite picking up head injuries that left them dazed and confused. But it was the reaction to the concussion to Álvaro Pereira that generated the most media criticismExternal link. Pereira described it like the “lights going out” when an opponent’s knee hit his headExternal link.…
Rare black ice on frozen Swiss lakes attracts skaters
This content was published on
Popular mountain lakes such as Appenzell’s Seealp lake, the Lago Bianco on the Bernina Pass, and the Oeschinen lake in the Bernese Oberland have been frozen solid for days, with little snow and bitter cold resulting in a surface of smooth, black ice. It’s the second year in a row that such a phenomenon has…
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.