Attention, children surprise on the street
Every year, 950 children up to the age of 14 are involved in road accidents in Switzerland - on foot, on scooters or on bicycles. When school starts again, children are more likely to be on the road. The BFU is therefore launching a campaign to get them to school - supported by the Road Safety Fund and the police. The aim is to prepare drivers for the fact that children often behave surprisingly in traffic.
For children the School route a very special experience. They play, romp around and tell each other the latest stories. The fact that there are dangers lurking along the road is quickly forgotten. Every year in Switzerland, there are Road traffic a total of 950 accidents involving children - on foot, by bicycle or scooter. As a result, 180 children are seriously injured; on average, 7 children lose their lives. 40 % this Accidents happen on the way to school.
Between the ages of 4 and 9, children are most likely to have an accident while crossing the street - on the pedestrian crossing or next to it. In three quarters of the cases, the child is hit by a car.
Vehicle drivers must pay double attention
To mark the start of school, the BFU is launching a new three-year safety campaign that will focus on the dangers of road traffic on and off the way to school: Drivers are made aware that children often behave surprisingly on the sidewalk or on the street and thus put themselves in danger. They do not do this on purpose or because of bad upbringing - but because they are children. For example, due to their height, they have a limited field of vision and cannot see over obstacles. Depending on their age, their awareness of dangers is still poorly developed. For children under the age of 10, it is also a great challenge to judge how fast a car is traveling on the road. Vehicle drivers must therefore pay double attention: for themselves and for the child.
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