Road safety for children has no political colour
The school year has started again. Tens of thousands of children are hopping on bikes or walking to school. In doing so, they manoeuvre through a public space not designed for children. This leads to unsafe situations, on the road and at the school gate. We therefore call on citizens and policymakers to fully opt for more road safety in the local elections.
Chaos at the school gate
The school year has started, and you notice it on the roads. Tens of thousands of children have been going to school by bike, scooter or on foot again since this week. Unfortunately, this is not a carefree activity for them. According to figures from Vias Institute, every day as many as 14 children are involved in a traffic accident on their way to or from school.
This precarious situation on our roads unfortunately makes even more parents decide to take their child to school by car. As a result, school environments become more chaotic and dangerous for those coming by bike or on foot. And so our children's freedom of movement and autonomy are further compromised.
Free ride for the car
Our public space is simply not designed for children. For decades, we made free way for the car and took smooth flow for motorised traffic as a yardstick. The main purpose of public space was, and still is, to get as many cars from A to B as quickly as possible. As a result, active road users were relegated to the side, literally and figuratively. So were the tens of thousands of cycling and walking children. They have to make do with inadequate infrastructure that was also designed for adults, by adults.
In the first days of the school year, there is traditionally an extra focus on the safety of children on the road. Only, the emphasis is rather quickly on fluorescent jackets and helmets. These can certainly be useful, but they all too easily shift responsibility for poor infrastructure and impatient car drivers onto the road users with the weakest shoulders.
More child perspective in our public spaces
We need to turn that situation around. Because a mobility system that is safe and friendly for children is safe and livable for people of all ages. This is why we call for more child perspective in the mobility debate.
In the run-up to the local elections on 13 October, we call on policymakers to adopt mobility policies that take into account both the abilities and the limitations of children and young people. We encourage citizens to consider our public spaces from a child's perspective. And in the voting booth to choose policymakers who put road safety and children's quality of life high on the agenda. That way, children -indirectly- get a voice.
Joining forces for change
And it doesn't stop after the elections. In the coming months, together with various other organisations, we will lay the foundations for a Collective Child Perspective that not only exchanges knowledge and takes action, but also keeps the theme in the spotlight. And that is necessary, because there is so much more for children to discover than the back seat of a car. By walking, playing and cycling together in their neighbourhood, children get to know their peers and their environment better. By going out independently, children learn to read traffic. Exercise in the outdoors also contributes to their mental and physical health. Besides, the rest of society also benefits from supporting children to get around independently and without worry. Children who cycle, scoot or walk to school thus directly ensure fewer cars and, above all, less congestion in the morning rush hour and less chaos at the school gate.
Going to school with a broad smile
For children -and the rest of society- to enjoy the many benefits of active mobility, we need to transform our scarce public space into a social space tailored to people again. So let's look beyond the obligatory fluorescent jackets and helmets. As adults, let's look critically at our public space, and do so from a child's perspective. Because every child deserves to go to school stress-free, safe and with a broad smile on their face.
Action with Car-Free School Day
One of the ways we are taking action is through the Car-Free School Day, an initiative inspired by Car-Free Sunday.
On a Car-Free School Day, teachers and pupils pal the street in front of the school gate. Where cars disappear, children suddenly have space to play, learn and practise their traffic skills.
Questions about road safety for children?
Our colleague and school mobility expert, Glenn Godin, is happy to answer them. Contact him using the form below.
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Download rapport klasgesprekken kinderfietstelling
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Safe school environments and routes
Children deserve a safe journey to school. We work with schools, parents, local authorities and pupils to create safer routes, reduce traffic pressure and promote active travel in the school environment. Autonomous mobility should be the norm. Everywhere!