Also this year, the independent trade journal is donating Passenger Transport Magazine focus on the start of the new school year. After a long summer holiday, the first schools will open their doors again on Monday. In practice, this means more traffic and, unfortunately, usually also an accident peak among cycling students. In order to reduce the number of accidents during this period, the Safe Traffic Netherlands (VVN) is scaling up the activities surrounding its school campaign this year.
In addition to banners and posters in the streets with the text "Our schools have started again", the same message will also appear on the navigation screens of hundreds of thousands of motorists this year. This new attempt to make traffic safer is possible because several navigation services are participating in the campaign.
Another achievement this year is the poem “Our schools have started again.” This was performed live today in various places in the Netherlands. Motorists can help cycling students get to school safely by driving an appropriate speed instead of the maximum speed from Monday. It also helps when drivers avoid school zones. Safe Traffic Netherlands calls on students to check their bicycles for defects and to practice the school route with an adult beforehand.
Among 12-year-old students who cycle to school, there are almost twice as many victims in August and September as in other months. Speeding is a major cause of many traffic accidents. It is estimated that one third of all fatal crashes are directly or indirectly caused by excessive speed. According to the Road Safety Research Foundation (SWOV), speed reduction by motorized traffic is therefore one of the most effective measures to increase the safety of students in traffic. The campaign image therefore consists of a speedometer that students hang on to. The message: Our schools have started again. Adjust your speed.
From Monday, hundreds of thousands of motorists will receive the message to adjust their speed for cycling students. This is done in the car via the navigation screen. It concerns a pilot with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management in which providers Waze, TomTom and Flitsmeister participate. The message appears just before departure or immediately after arrival. Outgoing minister Cora van Nieuwenhuizen (Infrastructure & Water Management) is hopeful about the test and the collaboration with navigation services. This is a local representation of international navigation systems.
Also read: Safe school routes on municipal roads
