Minimize dangers

Safe routes to school

Safety is not only a top priority at the start of the school year: The police provide support and draw attention to potential dangers on the way to school.

(Bild: Polizei)

71 children were injured in accidents on the way to school last year. However, it is pleasing to note that in 529 Lower Austrian municipalities, children were able to get to school safely - thanks in part to many road safety measures.

In many parts of Lower Austria, children can get to school safely. According to Statistics Austria, there was not a single accident on the way to school in 529 municipalities last year. A pleasing result, but there is still a need for action.

Overall, 71 children were still injured in accidents on the way to school in 2023. As the Austrian Transport Club (VCÖ) was able to determine, two thirds of these accidents occurred on the way to school and one third on the way home.

Be particularly attentive and ready to brake
From a regional perspective, children in the districts of Krems, Klosterneuburg, Lilienfeld, Scheibbs, Wiener Neustadt and Zwettl are particularly safe on the road. However, this requires more than just the attentiveness and caution of other road users. According to the mobility organization, school routes are safer than leisure routes thanks to numerous measures. Especially if the children are well prepared for the correct behavior in traffic - for example, by practicing the way to school together and drawing attention to possible dangers.

"The way to school is an opportunity for children to learn road safety skills. Children also benefit from this outside of school and are safer on the road in their free time. If children are chauffeured to school by car, this opportunity is taken away from them," explains VCÖ expert Katharina Jaschinsky.

Urban accident cluster
In order to further improve safety on the way to school, problem areas can be reported directly to the VCÖ. Incidentally, the highest number of accidents on the way to school last year occurred in Wiener Neustadt and St. Pölten.