Tips for a safe way to school

The police are on the way to school start reinforced in front of the elementary schools in the city area. They want to reach especially motorists - and parents.

The school has already started, but very few first graders know how to behave in traffic. They depend on motorists to perceive them and to pay more attention to the children in certain places. To sensitize car drivers who are on the road, the police in Herford has started the action. The goal: to make the way to school safer.

Tips for a safe way to school

1. Training: Even if the children are already very independent, parents should train with the new first graders the way to school. Before a child can master the way to school alone, depending on the distance, five to ten training days are necessary.

2. Danger spots: Especially the crossing of roads should be practiced intensively. Children at this age cannot yet assess speeds well. Where the traffic is high or many parking cars obstruct the view, it is said to take care.

3. The route: Not always the shortest is the safest way. Small detours that lead to crosswalks or traffic lights, make sense. But this transition should also be practiced. At traffic lights, the children mustn't just go green, but calmly look left and right again.

4. Get up early: hurry increases the risk of accidents in traffic. Therefore, the children should get up in time and sleep well go to school. Crossing a road also takes time: at this age, children cannot approach the roadside and look for traffic at the same time.

5. Wheel safety: When the child rides to school by bicycle, parents should regularly look after the condition of the vehicle. The police recommend: "Children should first take the bicycle exam during elementary school and then cycle to school." By the way: Eleven-year-old children who are traveling by bicycle, are considered adults and are no longer allowed to use the sidewalk.

6. Visibility: Children should be as recognizable as possible on the way to school. Parents can reinforce this with reflective elements on clothing or safety vests. Motorists can detect pedestrians with reflective clothing 150 meters earlier.

7. Fifth graders: Caution does not only apply to elementary school students. Even the fifth graders have new ways to go - many of them use public transport for the first time on the way to secondary schools, and the right behavior at stops should be trained.