School-zone campaign launches after rise in route accidents

ORF reports that the General Accident Insurance Institution and the Road Safety Board are distributing 1,800 posters across Styria to remind drivers to slow down near schools as the new school year begins.

The campaign slogan reads, “Attention, school: please slow down.” A total of 7,800 posters are being distributed nationwide to municipalities.

In 2025, 86 children were injured, some seriously, in 77 accidents on their way to school in Styria. Experts said the number of such accidents had risen by more than 60 percent compared with the previous year.

Peter Felber of the Road Safety Board urged drivers to remember that children are exempt from the principle of trust in road traffic. “Especially around schools, the rule is: drive more slowly, be cautious and think ahead for children,” he said.

Children face several challenges in traffic. Unlike adults, they find it harder to judge speeds, may not yet be able to interpret traffic rules reliably and are more easily distracted.

Drivers can significantly improve the safety of young road users by driving attentively and reducing their speed. Parents can also help by practising the route to school with their children in advance and identifying potential danger spots together.