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ADAC Stiftung finds 38% of German children lack basic cycling safety skills
A survey commissioned by the ADAC Stiftung and released in July 2026 shows that 38 % of German children aged 7‑9 cannot reliably perform a shoulder check, give clear hand signals or ride with one hand. Only about 60 % of children in that age group possess those core techniques, and more than 20 % of 10‑12‑year‑olds still lack them despite having completed school‑based cycling training. Overall, 96 % of children aged 4‑12 can ride a bicycle, but many lack the safety skills needed for traffic.
Parents see themselves as the main educators, with 52 % stating they are primarily responsible for teaching safe traffic behaviour, while 83 % rate school cycling education positively. Teachers report that 47 % of children show significant attention deficits in traffic situations. In 2025, 74 children under 15 died in road accidents in Germany, 13 of them on bicycles, and about 29 200 were injured, averaging an incident every 18 minutes. The ADAC Stiftung recommends families use the summer holidays to practice safe cycling together, emphasizing the role of parents as role models and the need for regular joint training.
Entities
ADAC Stiftung · Christina Tillmann · German children · German parents · German teachers
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 10 SOURCES] The ADAC Stiftung recommends families use the summer holidays to practice safe cycling together. radioosnabrueck.de · www.berliner-sonntagsblatt.de · www.finanznachrichten.de · www.merkur.de · www.fehmarn24.de · +4 more
- [● 10 SOURCES] 83 % of parents rate school cycling education positively, believing it imparts essential traffic competencies. radioosnabrueck.de · www.berliner-sonntagsblatt.de · www.finanznachrichten.de · www.merkur.de · www.fehmarn24.de · +4 more
- [● 10 SOURCES] Over 20 % of German children aged 10‑12 still lack basic cycling safety skills despite school training. radioosnabrueck.de · www.berliner-sonntagsblatt.de · www.finanznachrichten.de · www.merkur.de · www.fehmarn24.de · +4 more
- [● 10 SOURCES] Only about 60 % of German children aged 7‑9 have basic cycling skills such as shoulder check, hand signals and one‑hand riding. radioosnabrueck.de · www.berliner-sonntagsblatt.de · www.finanznachrichten.de · www.merkur.de · www.fehmarn24.de · +4 more
- [● 10 SOURCES] 52 % of parents say they are primarily responsible for teaching children safe traffic behavior. radioosnabrueck.de · www.berliner-sonntagsblatt.de · www.finanznachrichten.de · www.merkur.de · www.fehmarn24.de · +4 more
- [● 10 SOURCES] 38 % of German children aged 7‑9 cannot perform a safe shoulder check nor give clear hand signals. radioosnabrueck.de · www.berliner-sonntagsblatt.de · www.finanznachrichten.de · www.merkur.de · www.fehmarn24.de · +4 more
- [● 10 SOURCES] 47 % of teachers report significant attention deficits among children in traffic situations. radioosnabrueck.de · www.berliner-sonntagsblatt.de · www.finanznachrichten.de · www.merkur.de · www.fehmarn24.de · +4 more
- [● 10 SOURCES] 96 % of German children aged 4‑12 can ride a bicycle. radioosnabrueck.de · www.berliner-sonntagsblatt.de · www.finanznachrichten.de · www.merkur.de · www.fehmarn24.de · +4 more