Security alarm: School path in Stendal receives poor - what now?

Security alarm: School path in Stendal receives poor - what now?

The way to school in Stendal could be safer - this will now be made significantly after the evaluation of the all -day school Goethestrasse by the AutoClub Europa (ACE), which gave the school route "poor". According to the [Volksstimme] (https://www.volksvme.de/lokal/stendal/elterntaxis-verkehrschauS-Schulweg-in-stendal- Kriegt-note-Langal-4076672), the bringing traffic was not only critically highlighted by parent taxis, but also the entire transport infrastructure around school. A variety of parents' taxis and parents who accompany their children on foot or by bike are part of the daily picture.

The ACE testers reported that it is not the convenience of the children, but a poor transport infrastructure. Missing traffic -calmed areas, crosswalks, speed limits and signs to school are painful. The danger point at the Röxer Straße/Goethestrasse/Nicolaistraße intersection, which is contaminated by heavily frequented bus lines, is particularly critical. Students have to cross this dangerous area from Bahnhofstrasse, which, given the increased traffic volume due to the current construction work on Lüderitzer Strasse

Security in focus

A survey of the ADAC on the subject of "safe way to school", which was carried out in April and May 2023, shows that 57% of the parents feel their children's way to school as safe or very safe, while 6% regard it as insecure. Despite this positive mood, many parents express concerns about the behavior of other road users. 44% of the respondents consider the misconduct of drivers to be the largest source of danger. The topic of distraction through smartphones also leads to worries. ADAC has found that 86% of children already have a smartphone in secondary schools, which also endangers the attention in road traffic.

The ACE therefore calls for urgent measures to improve traffic safety. A survey shows that 59% of the parents negatively assess parents taxis because they provide risky situations. The trend towards picking up in front of the school is unbroken - 57% of the parents take their children directly to school, while only 27% fall back on an official stop.

school roads in the coming

In 2022 alone, around 20,500 children between 6 and 14 years were injured in traffic accidents, although many were not on foot. Unlike some people think, most injuries come from bicycles or cars. Children and parents are also increasingly aware of the high traffic density and the long way to school. This has meant that the “Schulstrasse” pilot project was launched in cities like Cologne. Here it is experimented to block the streets during school days in order to create a safer environment for the students. According to Deutschlandfunk, this project is tested up to the Easter holidays to minimize the dangers through parent taxis.

traffic experts also emphasize that children come to school more safely when they walk. It is therefore not surprising that only 19% of the parents assess the way to school by bike or on foot as dangerous. Nevertheless, the way to school remains a challenge for many - a fact that requires both the installation of safety -increasing measures and a rethink in traffic education. The ACE and traffic education in primary schools will have important key roles here to raise awareness of safer school routes.