More School Route Accidents: Parent Taxis Increase Risk for Children

Children who get to school on foot, by bike, or by public transport are, according to experts, more at risk than just a few years ago. The reasons are manifold: denser traffic in residential areas, unclear intersections, and above all the increased volume of parent taxis. When numerous vehicles simultaneously stop and turn around in front of schools in the morning, confusing situations arise in which schoolchildren are easily overlooked.

Holger Till, president of the association and head of the Graz University Clinic for Pediatric and Adolescent Surgery, stressed on Tuesday in a statement the importance of independent mobility for children. „Nicht nur deren Kompetenz, sich im Straßenverkehr sicher zu bewegen, wird gefördert - auch positive Auswirkungen auf Bewegungsfreude, soziale Beziehungen und die Konzentrationsfähigkeit im Unterricht sind zu beobachten“, said Till. Children who travel to school independently therefore not only develop a better awareness of danger, but also benefit in their overall development.

Voices from the University Clinic

At the same time, trauma surgeons are warning of the typical injuries that occur in school route accidents. These include bone fractures, head injuries, and bruises that must be treated in the outpatient departments of children's hospitals. The Graz University Clinic for Pediatric and Adolescent Surgery is registering a marked increase in such cases during phases of heavy school-related traffic. Till sees this as a warning signal that should have political and social consequences.

International comparisons also show that children are particularly vulnerable in road traffic. The smaller the body size, the more severe the consequences of a collision often are. Experts therefore recommend practicing the school route on foot or by bike, gradually reducing parental accompanying routes, and paying attention to reflective clothing and clearly visible school route maps. Traffic education, which begins as early as kindergarten, is considered the most effective prevention.

Measures for Greater Safety

Peter Spitzer, also from the association and working at the Graz University Clinic, pointed out that many school route accidents would be avoidable. In particular, habitual drop-offs by car change children's behavior: those who are regularly driven tend to misjudge dangers in road traffic and lose their safe handling of crosswalks or traffic lights. Spitzer therefore advocates introducing children to independent routes at an early age and showing parents alternatives such as walking buses or school route accompaniment services.

In Graz and other Austrian cities, initiatives are already being discussed to increase safety on school routes. These include temporary speed limits in front of schools, the establishment of pick-up and drop-off zones away from the direct school forecourt, as well as increased police checks during school start times. The question of whether car-free zones around schools can be expanded is also back on the agenda.

The current rise in the number of injuries comes at a time when schools and parents are returning to everyday life after the holidays. Experts now see an opportunity to counter this with targeted measures. In addition to infrastructural improvements, what is needed above all is awareness-raising within families so that the school route once again becomes a safe start to the school day.