Safety for children: Police start a week of action to secure school routes

Safety for children: Police start a week of action to secure school routes

On Monday, December 8, 2025, the police in the Kleve district will start a week of action to secure school routes and road safety. This initiative, which will last until Friday, December 12, 2025, aims to increase the safety of children on their way to school during the dark season. During this time of short days, special challenges have to be overcome, especially due to the poor visibility.

In winter, the risk of accidents for children on the way to school is particularly high. According to bussgeldkatalog.org, twice as many children have accidents during this period as in the summer months. Traffic accidents often occur, especially between 7 and 8 a.m. Dark clothing can reduce children's visibility to just 25 meters, while lighter clothing increases this to 40 meters. Reflective materials can even achieve visibility of up to 140 meters. To ensure that children are clearly seen, winter clothing and school bags should be equipped with reflective and fluorescent materials.

Police presence and prevention

Police forces will have an increased presence in front of schools, especially at the start of classes. This happens through both preventative and repressive approaches. Discussions on road safety are actively sought and the use of traffic surveillance is used to punish violations. This includes warnings, notices of administrative offenses and letters to parents to draw attention to dangers. Police Director Tim Probst emphasizes how important it is to make the youngest people aware of the risks in road traffic.

In the context of the increasing number of accidents, it is crucial that both parents and children are prepared for the dangers of road traffic. According to BMV, a total of 27,261 children had accidents in road traffic in Germany in 2024. Tragically, this also includes 53 deaths that occurred in various traffic situations. In order to counteract this trend, the Federal Ministry of Transport supports numerous programs to increase road safety.

Training and support

Programs such as “Child and Traffic” from the German Road Safety Council offer free events for parents in daycare centers. Particularly noteworthy is the new campaign with Pumuckl, which aims to teach both children and parents about road safety through ten videos. Schools and daycare centers can also benefit from activities that familiarize children with the dangers of road traffic through practical exercises.

To ensure safety while driving, we point out the importance of suitable child seats. Children up to 12 years old and shorter than 150 cm must be secured in suitable child seats, which unfortunately is not guaranteed in all cases.

With the action week in the Kleve district, a further step towards security and education is being taken. The police are available as a point of contact for parents and children to explain the risks and reduce the number of accidents in the area.