Security alarm: The route to school in Stendal is rated poor” – what now?

Security alarm: The route to school in Stendal is rated poor” – what now?

The way to school in Stendal could be safer - this is now clear after the evaluation of the Goethestraße all-day school by the Autoclub Europa (ACE), which gave the way to school a grade of “poor”. According to Volksstimme, an investigation not only critically examined the drop-off traffic by parent taxis, but also the entire transport infrastructure around the school. A large number of parent taxis as well as parents accompanying their children on foot or by bike are part of the daily scene.

The ACE testers reported that it was not the children's convenience that was the real problem, but rather a poor transport infrastructure. Missing traffic-calmed areas, zebra crossings, speed limits and school signs are sorely lacking. The danger zone is particularly critical at the intersection of Röxer Straße/Goethestraße/Nicolaistraße, which is busy with busy bus routes. Students have to cross this dangerous area from Bahnhofstrasse, which poses additional risks given the increased traffic volume due to the current construction work on Lüderitzer Strasse.

Safety in focus

A survey by the ADAC on the topic of “Safe Routes to School”, which was carried out in April and May 2023, shows that 57% of parents perceive their children’s route to school as safe or very safe, while 6% rate it as unsafe. Despite this positive mood, many parents express concerns about the behavior of other road users. 44% of those surveyed consider driver misconduct to be the greatest source of danger. The issue of distraction caused by smartphones is also a cause for concern. ADAC has found that 86% of children in secondary schools already own a smartphone, which further endangers their attention in traffic.

The ACE therefore calls for urgent measures to improve road safety. A survey shows that 59% of parents judge parent taxis negatively because they create risky situations. The trend towards picking up before school continues unabated - 57% of parents take their children directly to school, while only 27% use an official bus stop.

School streets on the rise

In 2022 alone, around 20,500 children between the ages of 6 and 14 were injured in traffic accidents, many of which were not on foot. Contrary to what some people think, most of the injured people come from bicycles or cars. Children and parents are also increasingly aware of the high traffic density and long distances to school. This led to the “Schulstrasse” pilot project being launched in cities like Cologne. The experiment here is to close the streets during school hours to create a safer environment for students. According to Deutschlandfunk, this project will be tested until the Easter holidays in order to minimize the dangers posed by parent taxis.

Traffic experts also emphasize that children get to school safer if they walk. It is therefore not surprising that only 19% of parents consider cycling or walking to school to be dangerous. Nevertheless, going to school remains a challenge for many - a circumstance that requires both the installation of safety-enhancing measures and a rethinking of traffic education. ACE and traffic education in primary schools will play important key roles in raising awareness of safer routes to school.