Accident statistics in accordance with LAA [Federal Law on Accident Insurance] 2009
A sharp rise in accident figures since the previous year
Accident figures have risen by 3.8% to 762,000 compared with the previous year. This figure emerges from statistics prepared by the Agency for the Centralisation of Accident Insurance Statistics (LAA), based on a survey of data from 37 Swiss accident insurers. Non-industrial accidents have reached record levels, with 482,000 cases, a rise of 5.3%.
Accident insurance (LAA) recorded 762,000 cases in 2008, i.e. 28,000 cases or 3.8% more than in 2007. Industrial accidents rose to 268,000 and non-industrial accidents to 482,000, rises of 1.9 and 5.3% respectively. Conversely, the number of accident insurance cases involving the unemployed again dropped by over 10% to 12,000.
A sharp rise in non-industrial accidents
The 1.9% increase in industrial accidents reflects the increase (approx. 2%) in the rate of unemployment in 2008, when the economic situation was still favourable (in Switzerland, all employees carry LAA insurance). The 5.3% rise in non-industrial accidents, appreciably sharper, can be explained by the favourable weather conditions, resulting in an increase in the practice and frequency of leisure sports.
Winter sports (snowboarding and skiing) represent a substantial proportion of non-industrial accidents, over a quarter more cases being reported compared with 2007. This situation is ascribable to the fact that 2008 was marked by abundant snowfalls and very good weather conditions. Figures for football and cycling accidents also rose compared with the previous year (5 to 10%). In 2008, the number of non-industrial accidents was the highest since the introduction of the LAA in 1984. The total number of accidents in that year was actually higher than in 2003, the hottest summer of the century.
Fall in non-industrial accidents during wet weekends
Weather conditions can have a marked effect on accident figures, as demonstrated in the example, which compares the second half of August 2003 and 2008 (see graph). Given that the days of the week and dates coincide in these two years, non-industrial accidents can be compared directly on a daily basis. Hence, on working days, around 1,100 non-industrial accidents occurred in both years; on Saturdays and Sundays, as expected, accidents shot up to 2,000 cases. During the weekend of 30 and 31 August 2008, which was hot and sunny, over 4,500 non-industrial accidents were recorded, compared with 2,900 (a third less) in 2003, during the same weekend, when the weather was wet.
Temps ensoleille: sunny weather
Temps pluvieux: wet weather
Weather conditions are not the only factors likely to encourage or restrict leisure sports and even influence accident figures. In June 2008, during the Euro Championship, non-industrial accidents fell by almost 20% compared with 2003, although in the weeks before and after this event, a comparable number of accidents were recorded. It is highly probable that the persons concerned preferred to be spectators rather than practice a sporting activity: for once, a passive activity proved less damaging to health.