Safety security in Werder: Parents demand immediate measures!

Safety security in Werder: Parents demand immediate measures!

in Werder (Havel) a lot is happening when it comes to security on school and daycare routes. Advisors of the “Comban Kommuralberatung” office have created a comprehensive concept that aims to improve traffic safety for children and adolescents at daycare centers and schools. This happens against the background that despite the overall safe traffic situations, surveys have resulted in the fact that many parents and children perceive this path as "rather insecure" or even "very insecure". At the Carl von Ossietzky School, 49 percent of those surveyed stated that they were unsure, and 59 percent at the daycare locations. In the eyes of many, the lack of crosswalks or traffic lights, such as on Potsdamer Straße, is a considerable security risk that must be tackled. There are also symptoms of walkways that are in a desolate state, such as at the city of Stadtstrolche in Hohen Weg, where parked cars narrow the passages and represent a barrier for numerous pedestrians. Improvements in such focal points are urgently required to make the way to school safer.

The concept suggests a number of measures that not only increase security, but also improve conditions for all road users. These include:

• The installation of pedestrian crossings and crossing aids.
• markings with traffic law orders.
• a reduction in speeds in the affected areas.
• Setup of protective strips for cyclists.
• the expansion and renovation of the sidewalks.
• The creation of safe bicycle parking systems and parking options for parents with bicycles or cargo bikes.

legal opinion on school roads

Another step towards secure school paths is shown by a current legal appraisal, which was published by the campaign alliance, consisting of the Kidical Mass Action Alliance, the German Children's Aid Work and the ecological traffic club Germany (VCD). This report illuminates the legal options for municipalities to set up school roads and shows how temporary or permanent solutions can be implemented. For example, roads can be blocked for motorized traffic during school start and end times in order to enable school children to have a safe way.

Currently there are only 73 projects of this kind in Germany, but school roads in cities such as Cologne, Berlin and Bonn are very popular. In Cologne, 2023 pilot projects started at four schools that serve as a model for other cities. The need for a reform of road traffic law is becoming increasingly clear in order to create the prerequisites for child -friendly mobility. It is an urgent need to make the legal framework in such a way that security for the smallest road users is better guaranteed.

Mobility turnaround from a child perspective

The action alliance also calls for binding targets for the federal, state and municipalities to improve school mobility. A "mobility from a child perspective" is highlighted as a central topic. Against this background, the novella of the Road Traffic Regulations (StVO) has already reduced important legal hurdles and made new tools available to the municipalities in order to implement appropriate measures safely and efficiently.

With over 125,000 participants over 550 weeks of action in spring 2025, the initiatives for safe and active mobility of children are very rooted and committed. The topic of school roads is not only a local challenge in Werder (Havel), but also reflects a nationwide trend that urgently urges a positive change. So there is a lot in the hand of the cities and municipalities to go this way - or rather, to drive.

For more information and current developments on this topic, interested parties can have the detailed reports on maz-online.de , zu-fuss-zur-schule.de href = "https://kinderaufsrad.org/schulstrassen-rechtsgutert-leitfaden-2025/"> KinderaufSrad.org Read.