VCÖ urges families to practise school routes after rise in crashes

The VCÖ, a mobility club, is urging parents to practise the route to school with their children before the start of the new school year, ORF reported. The advice is aimed particularly at first graders and children moving to a new school.

There were 48 school-route crashes in Carinthia last year, injuring 54 children. Four children suffered serious injuries. An analysis by the VCÖ, based on Statistics Austria data, found that the number of crashes rose by about two thirds compared with 2024.

The VCÖ recommends that parents walk the route with their children before the first day of school. They should choose the safest route rather than necessarily the shortest one, with as little car traffic as possible, continuous pavements and few road crossings.

Parents should also assess the route from a child’s perspective. Parked cars and other obstacles can significantly restrict visibility at junctions and pedestrian crossings. Parents should report dangerous spots to their municipality or school.

The VCÖ is also calling on cities and municipalities to create more 30 km/h zones, safer road crossings and continuous walking and cycling paths. Bus stops used by many pupils should also be safely accessible.

School streets could help directly outside schools, the VCÖ said. These roads are temporarily closed to car traffic before lessons begin, reducing traffic immediately outside the school entrance and limiting confusing situations that can be dangerous for younger children.