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Bern, Switzerland (20 Minutes, Fre) – Refresher driving courses every 10 years, taking away the license but also confiscating the car of an irresponsible driver who causes a serious accident, zero alcohol tolerated for new as well as professional drivers: these are some of the 60 measures that are part of Via sicura, a proposed federal road safety programme.

Federal Council Moritz Leuenberger’s safety plan has gone to the cabinet (Federal Council) for its consideration. The expected cost of CHF300 million would be two-thirds financed by the cantons from road fines and the rest by an increase in the obligatory RC (responsabilité civile) insurance.

Road improvements are also part of the new safety proposals.

The incidence of road fatalities fell from 370 to 137 per 10,000 between 1965 and 2006 and the number of injuries is also down, but Switzerland, like the European Union, wants to drive the number of accidents down as far as it can.

 Photos: The Ganterbruecke bridge under repairs, near the Simplon pass in Valais. With one lane currently open and frequent poor road conditions with melting snow, speed limits have been reduced. Speed is cited by the Swiss Safety Council (BPA) as one of the major factors in road accidents in Switzerland. Click on images to view larger.