Germany: Only 5% of school entrance zones rated safe in new audit

A focused audit of the immediate environment surrounding primary schools in Germany has revealed alarming risks for children. A joint investigation by the Auto Club Europa (ACE) and the German Road Safety Council (DVR) found that only 5 per cent of the 167 school zones examined were classified as “safe.”

The study did not assess the entire route children take to school but specifically focused on the infrastructure and drop-off traffic within the 200-metre area surrounding the school gate. The localised findings were stark: only 5 per cent of the school entrance zones were rated safe, while 30 per cent were rated as “poor,” and 6 per cent were deemed “dangerous.” 

A major contributor to the danger is driver behaviour during the morning ‘school run’. The audit found that 41 per cent of parents dropping off children violated traffic regulations, most commonly by stopping in restricted areas or parking on pavements. This created chaotic and unsafe conditions for children. Despite most zones having a 30 km/h speed limit (92 per cent), safe, physical traffic-calming measures were rare; only 6 per cent of the areas were designated as traffic-calmed zones. 

Worryingly, 8 per cent of the school entrances lacked any pedestrian crossing aids, such as zebra crossings or pedestrian islands. DVR President Manfred Wirsch stressed the need for action, calling for an urgent improvement of the infrastructure and a change in how authorities manage the number of parents driving children to school.