Seven -year -old hit zebra crossing: shock in Heerbrugg!

Seven -year -old hit zebra crossing: shock in Heerbrugg!

Heerbrugg, Schweiz - A traffic accident occurred on June 2, 2025 in Heerbrugg, Canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland. Around 4:35 p.m. there was a collision between a 7-year-old boy and a 45-year-old man who steered a van. The boy crossed a pedestrian crossing at the traffic light at the manor when the accident happened. The exact course is still unclear because it is indefinite who disregarded the light signal. The boy was injured indefinitely and had to be taken to the hospital by the emergency services, as reported [https://www.vol.at/7-jaehriger-auf-zebrastreifen-angahren/9450155).

Security in road traffic is an increasingly important topic, especially for pedestrians. An incident that affects traffic safety in Heerbrugg in a similar way in December 2023 shows the continuing risks in road traffic. Here there was a collision between a car and a motorcycle in which a 17-year-old motorcyclist was injured indefinitely. The 50-year-old driver had intended to turn to Balgach at a confluence when he overlooked the motorcyclist who came on the Auerstrasse from Au. In this case, too, the injured person was taken to the hospital with an ambulance, and there was property damage in the amount of several thousand francs, such as [sg.ch] (https://www.sg.ch/sgs/sgch_kantonpolizei/2023/12/heerbrugg-Verkehrsunfall- between-Auto-und-motorrad.html).

growing number of accidents and pedestrian security

The current accident statistics of the German Road Safety Council (DVR) illustrates that security on the streets is an pressing problem. In 2023, 2,839 people died in traffic accidents in Germany, which means an increase of 1.8 % compared to the previous year. Contrary to increased traffic safety, the number of injured pedestrians has increased in recent years. The President of the DVR, Manfred Wirsch, calls for stronger consideration of pedestrian security in transport policy. Particular attention is paid to the upcoming novella of the Road Traffic Regulations (StVO), which should enable the municipalities to order zebra crossings without proof of a special hazard. This could also have an impact on the safety of the children, as in the case of the boy in Heerbrugg, who used the pedestrian crossing.

The DVR has made ten central demands to improve traffic safety, including measures to monitor traffic and to determine reasonable top speeds. In particular, it is pointed out that speed 30 near playgrounds and heavily frequented ways of school can be arranged more easily in the future. These changes should help increase safety for pedestrians and children in road traffic and to prevent such tragic accident events.