Parents fight for safe routes to school: traffic chaos causes fear!

Parents fight for safe routes to school: traffic chaos causes fear!

In a recent survey by ÖAMTC and KFV on the safety of school routes in Austria, parents expressed their concerns about their children's road safety. A total of 600 parents were surveyed in spring 2025, and the results show that 451 children had accidents on the way to school in Austria in 2024. The pressure on school routes is significant, with 31% of parents identifying high traffic volumes as the main problem, followed by confusing intersections (18%) and a lack of zebra crossings (17%).

What is particularly alarming is the fact that 16% of parents recognize distractions caused by cell phone use as a challenge on the way to school. Despite these concerns, parents show a high willingness to participate in improving safety on the way to school. 79% of parents are willing to take part in measures to improve things.

Demands of parents

The survey also highlights parents' specific wishes. 38% demand more safe crossings, while 33% would like more 30 km/h zones in school and residential areas. In addition, 30% are pushing for an increased use of student guides. Despite the numerous challenges, two thirds of parents say they rate the traffic situation as “very good” or “good”. However, only one in three primary school students travels independently: 33% are taken to school by car, while the average journey to school takes 15 minutes or less.

A supplementary survey by the ADAC Foundation shows that one in four primary school children is usually brought to school in the parents' taxi. The main reasons for this are follow-up appointments, bad weather and saving time. 62% of parents express concerns about the high volume of traffic in front of schools, which increases the danger posed by parent taxis. 56% of these parents even report dangerous traffic situations in connection with these trips.

Concerns and responsible behavior

The survey results also show that 43% of parents are particularly concerned about traffic hooligans, while 26% express general concerns about their children's safety on the roads. To counteract these problems, the ADAC Foundation and other organizations are launching various campaigns to promote responsible behavior on the road. The “Safe Walk to School” campaign includes poster campaigns and offers via its website.

In addition, many children carry a smartphone with them, with 62% of children carrying one on the way to school. 26% of parents report that dangerous situations have arisen as a result. When it comes to this topic, mobility experts emphasize that it is very important to let children go to school independently or ride a scooter or bike.

Practice safe routes to school

To improve safety on the way to school, experts recommend that parents initially accompany their children. Important practices include practicing the route to school several times before school starts and discussing traffic situations. It is crucial to formulate clear rules for behavior on roads and to guide the child to walk safely across zebra crossings and pay attention to traffic.

Overall, the situation shows that despite the positive approaches and the commitment of many parents, the challenges on the way to school should by no means be neglected. Investing in safe routes to school is crucial to ensuring children's safety and increasing parents' confidence in road safety.

The initiatives to improve the way to school and the commitment of parents are more important than ever in order to increase safety in our cities and to enable children to travel to school without any problems. Further information can be found in the reports from ÖAMTC, the ADAC Foundation and on the website gib-acht-im-verkehr.de.