The new school year is imminent. For the youngest among the students begin a exciting new period of life and many great challenges. One of them is the way to school, and in order to cope safely, the police give important tips.
Explore school way together:
Even before the first day of school, parents and their child should explore the future school route to explain the correct behavior in traffic and in hazardous areas. It is important that always the safest way is used, even if this is perhaps not the shortest. When changing the street side children should use crossing aid, such as traffic lights or pedestrian crossings. Even when coping with the school route, “practice makes perfect” – the more often the path is walked together, the better the child gets used to the right traffic behavior.
Conversely, children also adopt false and dangerous behaviors, so adults should always lead by example. Likewise, the wrong behavior of other road users serves to explain to the child how to do it right. Eye-catching, colorful, reflective clothing helps children to be seen better and faster by other road users. Reflecting tapes and applications on clothing and satchels additionally enhance the effect.
School bus:
Even if the child goes to school by bus, parents should pay attention to the proper behavior and warn them of danger: never cross the street in front of or behind the holding bus, but wait until the bus continues and clears the view is. When disembarking on passing cyclists and passing pedestrians pay attention and not jostle when boarding and keep enough distance. Although the waiting time on the bus can sometimes be long, time should not be spent playing games.
Drive with the car:
When traveling by car, it is important to ensure the proper securing of all passengers. Children up to the twelfth year of age and a height of less than 1.50 meters need a suitable child seat – without proper security. Children in the car have a seven times higher risks of being seriously injured or even killed by an accident.
Missing or inadequate security can be punished with up to 60 Euros and a point in Flensburg. If several children are affected, it can be punished with 70 Euros and a point in Flensburg.
The child should only get in and out on the side facing away from the traffic. Every road user should be particularly attentive in the coming weeks around the beginning of school. And it is important to wear a reflective vest when cycling outside at night. Even as a pedestrian or cyclist, children can be a good example. The field of vision of a child is one third smaller than the adult.
Distraction – mobile away on the way to school:
Children and adolescents are now reluctant to use the mobile phone. The accessibility of their children is important for parents, but the cell phone on the way to school has lost nothing in the hand and should stay in the satchel, so that the small road users fully focused on the way to school and the traffic. For adults, it also means: be a role model, keep your fingers away from the phone!
School accidents:
In 2012, there were still 171 school-leaving road accidents, but the number dropped to 124 in 2015. In 2016, the number increased to 133 and in 2017 there were 138 accidents of this kind. 19 people were seriously injured and 115 slightly injured.
Through various actions such as the “pedestrian pass” in day-care centers and schools, the action “little feet on the way to school” or the use of honorary school route guides, the police and various partners are supporting this exciting time in the lives of the smallest road users.