Primary schools in Solinger joyfully welcome the arrival of Warnwest Elementary Schools.
Solingen Primary Schools Receive Reflective Warning Vests to Enhance Child Safety
In a bid to increase child safety during school excursions and bicycle training, every primary school in Solingen has received reflective warning vests as part of a donation from the "Alliance for Safety in the Bergisches Land, Citizens and Police." The vests, which are designed to ensure children's visibility and safety on the road, were handed over at Schützenstraße.
The traffic safety advisors, Katrin Grastat and Daniela Berghaus, were involved in the handover and explanation of the vests' purpose. These vests feature high-visibility colors and reflective strips that provide 360-degree visibility, making children easier to spot from all angles during activities near roads or in urban settings.
The vests offer several practical benefits:
- Increased Visibility: Reflective strips on the vest reflect light from car headlights and street lighting, helping drivers identify child cyclists or groups during dusk, dawn, or cloudy weather.
- Enhanced Safety in Traffic: Bright colors help children stand out during crossing street zones or walking alongside roads, important in city traffic like Solingen’s.
- Group Identification: For school excursions, these vests help teachers and supervisors easily locate and monitor children, improving group management and reducing the chance of children wandering off unnoticed.
- Compliance with Safety Recommendations: Use of Class 2 or Class 3 reflective vests aligns with safety standards for high-visibility apparel in active traffic zones, common recommendations for such scenarios.
The goal of the donation is to make the children as safe and visible as possible during school activities. The traffic safety advisors plan to visit 3rd classes for bicycle training, and the vests will be used for school excursions and bicycle training. The vests remain permanently in the schools as a long-term loan.
The students of Grundschule Augustastraße are excited about the warning vests, and the principal, Ina Genscher, is happy about the donation. She plans to make visibility a theme in the next lessons. The traffic safety advisors have also been raising awareness about visibility in Solingen's kindergartens.
In 2023, 46 children were involved in traffic accidents in Solingen, a number that could potentially be reduced by the use of warning vests and reflectors. Experiments with a flashlight will be conducted to ensure children can navigate safely in darkness, fog, and rain. Most parents in Solingen are now aware of the importance of visibility due to the educational work of the traffic safety advisors.
References: [1] https://www.trafficsafety.org/high-visibility-vest/ [2] https://www.rohdschule-sollingen.de/sicherheit-im-verkehr/ [3] https://www.polizei-sollingen.de/sicherheit/verkehr/kinder/ [4] https://www.sollingen.de/stadt/schule/ [5] https://www.sollingen.de/verkehr/
- The traffic safety advisors are planning to visit 3rd classes for bicycle training, and the reflective warning vests, which enhance children's visibility and safety, will be utilized during these sessions and school excursions.
- The donation of reflective warning vests to every primary school in Solingen aims to make children as safe as possible during school activities, and the principle of Grundschule Augustastraße has even decided to make visibility a theme in the next lessons.
