The Swiss canton with the most dangerous roads revealed
By Jan de Boer
A new report from the Federal Roads Office (Astra) has revealed which Swiss cantons have the most dangerous roads. In the last 12 years, drivers on roads and motorways in central Switzerland have suffered the most frequent road accidents, with some routes considered far more dangerous than others.
Uri found to have Switzerland's most dangerous roads
To create the study, Astra collated all fatal road accident reports recorded by the emergency services in Switzerland since 2011 and placed them on an interactive map to see which specific routes are considered to be the most dangerous. Accidents were also classified by causation and what vehicles were involved.
In all, the report found that Canton Uri has the most dangerous roads in the country. In 2022, the canton experienced 3,1 fatal accidents per 1.000 people. Canton Lucerne is in second place with 2,5 accidents per 1.000, with Lucerne and Zug found to have the highest total number of accidents.
As the home to a number of major routes through the mountains and the northern end of the Gotthard Road Tunnel, it’s perhaps little surprise that Uri occupies the higher echelons. In fact, a study from the Touring Club of Switzerland in 2010 rated the Furka, Klausen, Oberalp and Susten Passes as being the highest-risk roads in the country, all of which are in Uri.
Most dangerous roads in Switzerland are in and out of Lucerne
When it comes to the most dangerous individual roads, the study found that the A14 motorway between Lucerne and Rotkreuz, the A2 and 8 between Lucerne-Horw and Giswil and the A2 between Lucerne and Sempach are the most accident-prone roads in Switzerland. Roads in and around Zurich, Geneva, Basel, Bern and Lausanne are also notable hotspots.
By contrast, the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden was found to have the safest roads in the country. 1,7 fatal accidents were recorded in the region last year for every 1.000 inhabitants. You can check out the rest of the data here:
Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Jan studied History at the University of York and Broadcast Journalism at the University of Sheffield. Though born in York, Jan has lived most of his life in Zurich and has worked as a journalist, writer and editor since 2016.
While he has plunged head-first back into life in Switzerland since returning to the country in 2020, he still enjoys a taste of home at pub quizzes and karaoke nights.Read more