VCÖ reminds of rules

Accidents involving children: One third happen on the safety path

Slow down and pay particular attention to children - this applies not only at the start of school.

(Bild: Christof Birbaumer)

62 children were victims of road accidents in Tyrol in 2023. The VCÖ reminds us of the special regulations that apply to them in the StVO and calls for further measures.

Ever heard of the "invisible safety route"? If not, then it's high time you did, because this regulation has been in the Road Traffic Act (StVO) for 30 years now. Specifically, it says: If drivers recognize that children (whether with or without a supervisor) want to cross the road, the driver must allow them to do so - even without a crosswalk.

Children are also exempt from the principle of trust. This means: "The driver of a vehicle must [...] behave in such a way that no danger is posed, in particular by reducing speed and being ready to brake."

62 children hit, 20 at crosswalks
The Austrian Transport Club (VCÖ) criticizes the fact that these two principles are too often disregarded and refers to figures from Statistics Austria: According to these figures, 62 children walking in Tyrol were victims of a traffic accident in 2023, 61 of them in the local area. One in three children was even hit on a safety path, "i.e. where it should be obvious that children have absolute priority", warns the VCÖ and reminds us of the Road Traffic Regulations: According to this, a vehicle must approach a safety path in such a way that it can stop in front of it.

We need a culture of consideration between road users and more awareness of the need to protect the youngest children.

VCÖ-Expertin Katharina Jaschinsky

Safer safety routes with a 30 km/h speed limit and parking ban
According to the VCÖ analysis, 15 of the 20 safety path accidents happened on roads with a speed limit of 40 or 50 km/h. "At 50 km/h, the stopping distance is around twice as long as at 30 km/h," the experts point out. Increasing the speed limit to 30 km/h would therefore greatly increase safety. Another demand of the VCÖ is the clearer design of crosswalks: The stopping and parking ban in front of crosswalks should be extended from five to ten meters.

To coincide with the start of school, the VCÖ also reminds us of its school route check. On the website www.map.vcoe.at/schulwegcheck, danger spots for children can be entered on an online map - for example, speeding, sidewalks that are too narrow or a lack of cycle paths. The traffic club collects these and forwards them to the responsible municipalities, cities or districts.