Touring Club Schweiz/Suisse/Swiss – TCS
Vernier/Ostermundigen (ots)
On the occasion of the start of the 2025 school year, the Touring Club Switzerland launched a national campaign on the mandate of the Road Safety Fund (FSR) to strengthen the safety of children on the way to the school. Under the motto “observe, slow down, stop”, the TCS calls vehicles to adapt their behavior on the road, especially near schools. The message will be relayed on a large scale thanks to the involvement of fonts, schools, municipalities and parents. Several awareness tools will be disseminated, including a scented car figurine which encourages prudence and promotes concentration. Last year, more than one child per day was the victim of an accident on the school road in Switzerland.
In 2024, 455 children were victims of an accident on this journey according to the Federal Roads Office*, more than one per day. A worrying figure that shows the importance of acting. The TCS has been committed since 1908 to road safety in Switzerland. With this long experience and a convincing concept, it was chosen by a group of experts to lead the back -to -school campaign. This campaign, mandated by the Road Safety Fund (FSR), will start at the start of the 2025 school year and will be deployed over three years. The objective is to make the school path safer by calling drivers to adopt a few simple gestures and to show particular attention.
A new golden rule for road users
The TCS introduces a new golden rule intended for vehicle drivers: “observe, slow down, stop”. This motto aims to encourage a more attentive and responsible attitude on the road, in particular near schools and in residential areas. Observing means remaining constantly vigilant to quickly locate the presence of children, who can arise unexpectedly. Slowing down allows you to react in time, especially in poorly visible or little frequented areas, where a child could cross without warning. Finally, stopping is essential: children have not yet acquired the capacity to correctly assess the speed of vehicles. They only cross safely when cars are completely immobilized. This message echoes that learned by the children themselves for several years: “stop, watch, listen, cross”. While children learn to evolve alone in public space, adults must also adapt their conduct and strengthen their attention. By aligning the instructions for children and drivers, the campaign recalls that road safety is a shared responsibility.
Key actors to relay the message
Although the campaign is mainly intended for road users, its success is based on the mobilization of several partners, who can rely on equipment provided by the TCS. Police instructors play a central role by recalling safety rules in schools. Schools and teachers also contribute by integrating these concepts into their school program, with the support of didactic equipment. The municipalities support the initiative by installing panels, posters and awareness -raising banks around schools. Finally, parents – often road users themselves – participate in security by adopting exemplary behavior and guiding their children towards autonomy with caution.
Modern and innovative supports
The campaign is based on many supports designed to make an impression. Among them is a perfumed car figurine, developed in collaboration with Farfalla, the Swiss leader in aromatherapy. It aims to make drivers aware, encourage prudence and promote their concentration. The figurines will be made in class using a DIY kit specially designed for schools. The children will decorate them and then offer them to their parents, who will hang them on the ventilation grid of their car. Permanently present in the passenger compartment, this personalized figurine acts as a concrete reminder of the importance of attentive conduct and to rethink its driving habits. The relaxing fragrance that it diffuses also brings a sensory dimension favorable to a calm state of mind at the wheel and reinforces concentration. The campaign is also based on other tools: posters and banners visible near schools, teaching materials for teachers, as well as panels to be installed in public space.
About the Road Safety Fund (FSR)
The Road Safety Fund (FSR) is a public law institution in the Confederation, responsible for promoting the safety of all road users in Switzerland. Funded by contributions from Automobile Liability Insurance, the FSR supports national and regional measures aimed at preventing accidents, raising awareness among road users and encouraging responsible behavior in traffic.
*TCS figures extracted from raw statistics from the OFROU accident database.
TCS advice for a safe school year
- At the wheel, put into practice the motto “observe, slow down, stop”
- On foot, choose a safe itinerary, and show the example to your child by explaining the right behaviors (where to walk, how to react to a vehicle, etc.).
- Teaching your child to cross safe, even without pedestrian crossings (zone 30), near bus stops or when visibility is reduced.
- Train it to master your bike or scooter and respect traffic rules. Games, playful brochures and TCS advice are available to strengthen your knowledge.
- Favor clear clothes and add reflective elements (stickers, homemade accessories, etc.) to your business and equipment.
- Practice regularly, especially at the start of the school year, the journey with him on foot, by bike or scooter.
- For people without children or having no more young children, SAFE2SCHOOL ALERT allows you to receive information via WhatsApp concerning the day of the start of the school year, in order to know when to expect to meet a large number of children on the journey.
Contact:
Jordan Girod, TCS spokesperson
Such. 058 827 27 26 | 076 367 25 33 | jordan.girod@tcs.ch
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