Children Securely Mobile and Visible: Observing Young Ones in Public Spaces, Supervised by Poland University
In an effort to ensure the safety of children on school routes, the Rhein-Sieg Police have intensified their focus on controlling "turning violations" and have developed a corresponding stop and control procedure. This initiative, part of the cross-border traffic safety action "sicher.mobil.leben," will take place in Siegburg on June 3, 2025.
Every moment of distraction in traffic can increase the risk of accidents, and one in ten road deaths occurs due to distraction. Children, in particular, may not always accurately assess dangers, such as getting out directly onto the street or suddenly emerging from between parked vehicles to cross the street. A glance can save lives, as a one-second distraction can result in many meters of blind driving.
The human brain is less aware of the road ahead when looking at a phone while driving, missing 50% of the visual information around. Distracted driving can increase the risk of accidents by up to 12 times. In 2024, 20.79% of all severe traffic accidents in the Rhein-Sieg police district were due to errors during turns. Even a collision at 30 km/h can result in severe or fatal injuries to pedestrians.
To address these issues, the officers will focus on the areas of distraction, turning, and school route safety. The "Dead Angle" project, led by police traffic educators in the Rhein-Sieg district, teaches children about the dangers of blind spots and how to handle them. Improper behaviour by parents when picking up or dropping off their children often causes disruptions or hazards at the start or end of school.
Walking to school daily has several positive effects on child development, including developing an awareness of dangerous situations in traffic at an early age. However, children exhibit a higher degree of motor restlessness than adults, often behaving less regularly and less aware of traffic situations, such as the "blind spot."
Since the latest revision of the traffic regulations, vehicles over 3.5 tons turning right in urban areas must do so at a crawl (4 to 7 or a maximum of 11 kilometers per hour). At 50 km/h, the total braking distance (including reaction time) is about 40 meters. At various control points, police officers will enforce traffic violations and raise awareness of relevant regulations.
The organization responsible for carrying out the road traffic safety project "sicher.mobil.leben" in the Rhein-Sieg-Kreis in 2025 is the Rhein-Sieg-Kreis administration, specifically coordinated by its Straßenverkehrsamt (Road Traffic Office) under the leadership of Christoph Paßgang. The action will not only improve safety for children but also contribute to making the roads a safer place for everyone.
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