Tips for practicing

Start of school: these are the three safest districts

The way to school must not become a danger for the many pupils.

(Bild: Jauschowetz Christian)

With the start of school on Monday, Carinthian children are once again exposed to the dangers of road traffic. Only in three Carinthian districts were there no accidents on the way to school last year. 

Even if just one young Carinthian is injured on the way to school, that is already too many. But in the previous year there were 35 incidents in our province with 38 children injured. In Klagenfurt alone, 40 percent of all these accidents occurred; only in the districts of Hermagor, Klagenfurt-Land and St. Veit an der Glan were schoolchildren spared from road traffic.

Drivers need to be particularly careful to ensure that this also works in the other districts. "Children are exempt from the principle of trust. So slow down and be ready to brake," emphasizes traffic expert Katharina Jaschinsky. And: problem areas must be consistently defused.

Five tips for more safety on the roads
The police have several tips and recommendations to help children get to and from school safely:

• Choose a safe route to school: As children learn by observing and imitating, it is recommended that they walk to school together. The little ones memorize the correct behavior and know how to behave at intersections or towards crossing guards. The shortest route is not always the safest!
• Watch out at traffic lights and crosswalks: Look ahead and be careful! This is very important when crossing roads. Before entering a crosswalk or passing through traffic lights, you should look both ways so that you can react correctly.

• By car or public transport: In a car, a suitable child seat and the correct seat belt are essential. When getting out of the car, watch out for following traffic and other road users. Be careful when picking up: Children like to run towards their parents and often don't pay attention to the traffic! If you travel by bus or train, you need to know the correct behavior at bus stops.
• By bike or scooter: If you cycle to school alone, you must be nine years old and in possession of a bicycle pass. The same applies to e-scooters. Children up to the age of twelve must wear a helmet.
• Reflectors bring safety: To be seen better by other road users, the police recommend light-colored clothing and reflective high-visibility vests.

Helfen Sie mit!

Gemeinsam vor Gefahren schützen

Autumn is approaching and for thousands of boys and girls, the start of school marks the beginning of the serious side of their young lives. But when it starts to get light later in the mornings and the fog rolls through Carinthia's valleys, the journey to school can become dangerous. We all have to work together to warn of dangerous places and make them safe. So that their grades are our children's only concern at school.

Do you know of unsafe routes to school? We will point out dangerous spots and pass them on to the relevant authorities. Write to us: [e-mail] or by post to: Kärntner Krone, Krone Platz 1, 9020 Klagenfurt, reference "Safe route to school"