This year, 30 schools – despite the difficult conditions caused by the corona virus – took part in the international “Walk-to-school-day”. The winner of the competition with a pedestrian share of 97.96 percent was the Katholische Grundschule Graf-Recke-Straße 153, Carl-Sonnenschein-Schule in Düsseltal. The school can look forward to a prize of 1,000 euros. In second place follows the Urdenbach Community Primary School, Garather Straße 16, including the branch on Urdenbacher Allee with 97.46 percent. She receives prize money of 500 euros. Third place went to the Lohausen Catholic Primary School, Im Grund 78, with 97.43 percent and received 250 euros.
The Office for Traffic Management had called on all primary schools in Düsseldorf to participate in order to promote the topic. The office wants to encourage as many pupils as possible to walk to school and not take the “parents’ taxi”. During the International Mobility Week from September 16 to 22, the participating schools had to make two counts to determine how many of their students walked to school. They were supported by the police and the Düsseldorf traffic watch. They carried out a third, unannounced census among the schools, which was also included in the assessment. The three schools with the most pedestrians as a percentage of the total number of students, but also cyclists, scooters or bus and train drivers have now received attractive cash prizes from the Office for Traffic Management, which are to be used to increase the mobility and fitness of their students.
The Office for Traffic Management has been offering this competition for many years in order to draw attention to the topic together with the Düsseldorf primary schools, as more and more parents are bringing their children to school by car. On the one hand because they think they are faster and on the other hand to protect their child from possible dangers. “As a result, car traffic around the schools has increased enormously and with it the immediate danger of accidents for the students on the street,” explains the head of the mobility department, Jochen Kral. “The well-intentioned parent taxi also has disadvantages for the children as occupants. They move less and miss opportunities to be active in traffic. It only helps the children to train independence and to be aware of the dangers,” he explains. His appeal to parents and all drivers: “Be prepared for mistakes that our children could make in traffic, anywhere, anytime – just like we ourselves as adults.”
In order to make the competition sustainable, the Office for Traffic Management has created a class competition in the form of a small booklet. This means that the primary schools can call a six-week competition among all grades or across grades among all classes. All primary schools that take part in the Walk to School Day competition will receive a booklet for each of their pupils, as well as a reflective lanyard that they can use after the six-week competition; a useful accessory for more visibility in the dark season.
In addition, the Office for Traffic Management had equipped all first graders with safety vests at the beginning of the new school year. “I promise myself a significant increase in road safety for our youngest road users”, emphasizes Florian Reeh, head of the Office for Traffic Management. “Due to the often poor visibility and their small size, children are often difficult to see for drivers. For the safety of the youngest road users, it is important that they wear light-colored or reflective clothing, especially in the dark, so that they can be seen by drivers from a great distance are.”
Overview of the 30 participating primary schools
(KGS: Catholic Primary School, GGS: Community Primary School, EGS: Evangelical Primary School)
GGS Am Litzgraben, Friedrich von Spee School, Angermund
GGS Im Dahlacker 15, Sternwartschule, Bilk
KGS Im Dahlacker, Fleher Str. 70, Boniface School, Bilk
KGS Blumenthalstrasse 11, Thomas School, Derendorf
KGS Graf-Recke-Straße 153, Carl-Sonnenschein-Schule, Düsseltal
EGS Karl-Müller-Straße 25, Brehm-Schule, Düsseltal
KGS Paulusplatz 1, Paulusschule, Düsseltal
KGS Fuldaer Strasse, Eller
KGS Fleher Strasse 213, Flehe
GGS Kirchfeldstrasse 74-80, Regenbogenschule, Friedrichstadt
KGS Josef-Kleesattel-Strasse 13, Garath
GGS Neustrelitzer Strasse, Garath
GGS Diepenstr. 24, Aloys-Odenthal-Schule, Gerresheim
GGS Rolandstraße 40, Golzheim
KGS Florensstraße, Hamm
GGS Steinkaul 27, heavenly spirit
KGS Itterstraße 16, St.-Apollinaris School, Holthausen
GGS Kaiserswerth, Fliednerstraße 32
KGS Kempgensweg 65, St.Michael School, Lierenfeld
KGS Lohausen, Im Grund 78
KGS Gneisenaustraße, St.-Rochus-Schule, Pempelfort
GGS Rather Markt 2, Joachim-Neander-School, Rath
KGS Buchenstrasse 16, St. Elisabeth School, Reisholz
GGS Beckbuschstraße, Beckbuschschule, Stockum
GGS Brorsstrasse 5, Wichernschule, Unterbach
KGS Gerresheimer Landstrasse 89, Carl-Sonnenschein-Schule, Unterbach
KGS Unterrather Str. 76, Kartause-Hain-Schule, Unterrath
GGS Urdenbach, Garather Str. 16 Incl. Dependance Urdenbacher Allee 91
GGS Vennhauser Allee 160-162, Vennhausen
KGS Grenzweg 12, Franz Vaahsen School, Wittlaer
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