Go! Safe 2 School - drivers beware, school is starting soon

School will be starting soon and many children will be on their way to school for the first time. By behaving correctly, drivers can help children arrive safely.

The school vacations will soon be over and around one million children will be making their way back to school every day.

For many children like Stella, Lenn and Finn, the journey to school means more than just walking to school. It is a time for sharing and experiencing things together.

Finn says: "I walk and talk to friends on the way to school." Lenn adds: "There's also a butcher's shop on the way home and then we get a sausage."

Dangerous way to school

Walking to school is an important experience for adolescents that shapes them for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, however, the journey to school is not always safe.

Last year, there were 352 accidents on the way to school, some of which were fatal.

"Children are particularly at risk in road traffic," explains Marc Baertsch, who is responsible for road safety education at TCS. "One problem is the height of children, they are less visible in traffic.

The second problem is the development of children's skills. They are not yet fully developed and children have difficulty judging the speed of a vehicle."

Pedestrian crossing risk

Around 70% of all accidents happen when crossing the road.

Drivers need to be particularly attentive there.

Stella has already noticed that some of her classmates cross the road carelessly: "A few pupils run across the road and don't look. When a car comes along, it's dangerous."

Marc Baertsch emphasizes: "That's why they say the car has to stop completely. The child looks at the bike and can only cross the road when it has stopped."

Hand signals

Although hand signals are often well intentioned, they can be dangerous.

Children then rely on the signal and no longer look left and right. This can lead to them overlooking other approaching vehicles.

Children should therefore make this decision themselves.

As a general rule, caution is advised when children are nearby.

"Children's behavior is not the same as that of adults. They are often spontaneous. That's why you should slow down and keep a close eye on what the children are doing. Especially if they are in a group," says Baertsch.

Drivers need to be particularly careful after the summer vacations, as many children are on the road to school for the first time.

Safe2School Alert

To make road users aware of this, the TCS has set up the "Safe2School Alert" (www.tcs.ch/s2s).

"We have noticed that road users without children often don't even know when the schoolchildren are back on the road. That's why we launched the Whatsapp service, which you can subscribe to. It's free," explains Barbara Sutter, Head of the TCS Road Safety Campaign.

Experiences are lessons

The journey to school not only offers children the opportunity to practise their road safety skills. It also promotes their independence.

Barbara Sutter emphasizes: "They learn how to behave correctly in road traffic. They learn this step by step. They have to start on a small scale and the more skills they can develop, the larger the radius becomes."

Stella, Finn and Lenn are taking their first steps in the world of transportation by walking to school.

And they want to keep it that way, as Stella says: "I just like walking to school and it's stupid to drive."

Children need the support and attention of all road users if they are to make their way to school safely and independently. This is the only way we can ensure that our children get to school and back home safely.