Fatal accident in Randogne: 96-yr-old driver veered left at the bend
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – A 96-year-old man was killed Saturday afternoon near Crans-Montana when his car veered into the opposite lane and crashed into an oncoming car. Canton Valais police say he suffered a health problem, without providing details, as he was driving downhill on the Montana to Sierre road, and his car crossed the centre line at a sharp right bend in Randogne. The driver coming uphill was not harmed.
Another very elderly driver killed a woman in canton Vaud 29 May. The 97-year-old hit a 50-year-old pedestrian in La Tour-de-Peilz, as she was walking on his side of the road.
Switzerland finalized tougher road rules 15 June with a legislative package called Via Sicura of road safety measures that were hotly debated for 10 years. The new rules call for drivers over age 70 to have regular eye examinations and a medical checkup every two years in order to keep their licenses, but the Federal Council has not yet set the date for the law to take effect.
Swiss drivers otherwise normally are valid indefinitely.
