Survey: Over 80 pct. of primary schools deal with dangerous traffic

A massive 83 percent of primary schools in the Netherlands are dealing with issues that adversely affect road safety around the school. This is according to a survey done by TNS Nipo among 2,311 primary schools in the country. The survey was commissioned by Veilig Verkeer Nederland, Safe Traffic Netherlands in English. More than half - 58 percent - of these schools deal with dangerous situations during the times that kids are dropped off or picked up. 41 percent have parking problems and 32 percent have dangerous crossings on the route between school and home. One in ten of the schools who do not currently have a traffic brigade, indicated that they are in need of one. According to Veilig Verkeer Nederland, these figures show that more attention should be paid to safety on the school-home route. "Especially in the vicinity of schools, where there are always many children, you would think that the traffic situation is safe. These figures show the opposite", said Felix Cohen, director of Veilig Verkeer Nederland. "It can sometimes be chaotic around primary schools. Part of the solution lies in reducing car traffic: go to school on foot or bike as far as possible. But then it has to be safe." Veilig Verkeer Nederland has therefore launched the campaign "Help them cross", which will run over the coming weeks. The aim of the campaign is to encourage parents concerned about crossings en route to the school to take initiative with the school in establishing a traffic brigade. Anyone considering starting a traffic brigade can visit the campaign's website. There they can order a free booklet containing tips and advice on how to start a traffic brigade.