Child traffic safety initiatives focus on infrastructure and education

Efforts to improve child safety and mobility in German-speaking regions are focusing on both infrastructure and education. In Germany, the Verkehrsclub Deutschland (VCD) is addressing the rise of ‘parent taxis’—the phenomenon where parents drive children to daycare or school rather than letting them walk or cycle. Stephanie Päßler, a project manager at VCD, notes that children under six now spend half of their journeys in cars, creating dangerous traffic congestion and a cycle of perceived insecurity. Proposed solutions include implementing ‘school streets,’ improving pedestrian and cycling paths, and enforcing 30 km/h speed limits to encourage active mobility.

In Vorarlberg, Austria, educators are using creative methods to teach traffic safety. Thiemo Dalpra, known as the traffic education clown ‘Thiemo Schlotterhos,’ visits primary schools to teach children how to recognize hazards and use pedestrian crossings. By using humor and role-playing—such as wearing a colander as a helmet—the program aims to teach vital safety skills and the importance of protective gear without a lecturing tone.