ADAC study warns: Too many cars at schools endanger children
(dpa/Car Whiz/KI) One in four primary school children in Germany is regularly driven to school by their parents. According to a survey by the ADAC Foundation, in which more than 1,000 parents took part, 23 percent of parents use the car to take their children to school at least three times a week in spring and summer. In the autumn and winter months, this proportion rises to 28 percent.
A majority of parents surveyed expressed concerns about this practice, fearing an increased risk of accidents caused by the so-called “parent taxis” around schools. 62 percent of those surveyed said that there were too many cars near schools at the start and end of school.
The reasons given by parents for driving are varied. In addition to appointments and the desire to save time, bad weather, the location of the school on the way to work or simply convenience also play a role. Only eleven percent of parents who regularly drive their children to school cite road safety as a motivation for their actions.
27,000 children injured in traffic
Statistical data underscore the importance of children’s independence in road traffic: Last year, around 27,000 children were injured in road traffic in Germany, with the 6- to 14-year-old age group most frequently involved in accidents while cycling and mostly in the mornings on working days.
Christina Tillmann, CEO of the ADAC Foundation, stresses the importance of active participation in road traffic in order to develop a sense of its dangers. She advocates that children walk or cycle to school in order to receive daily training in how to move safely and independently in traffic.
In Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, the summer holidays end next week, while schools have already resumed in the other federal states.
