Caution urged as thousands of children return to school roads

Thousands of Slovenian children and teenagers are returning to school, prompting police to intensify traffic controls around school routes.

During the first week of classes, officers will measure vehicle speeds, check stopping and parking, and monitor seat-belt use. They will also inspect bicycles and other single-track vehicles used by children, as well as the technical condition of vehicles providing organized school transport.

The Traffic Safety Agency’s Safe to School campaign will run until Sept. 6. It warns that younger children are harder for drivers to see, judge vehicle speeds and distances less accurately, and may react unpredictably when distracted by activity around them. Drivers are urged to slow down near children and remain ready to stop.

The agency will distribute more than 18,200 reflectors to Slovenian municipalities to improve the visibility of first-graders. Volunteers will guard hazardous sections of school routes, caution drivers and, in some cases, accompany children on buses while explaining safe behavior and seat-belt use.

The agency has also developed the Safe School Routes online portal with the Geodetic Institute of Slovenia. Schools, municipalities and local prevention councils can use it to record school routes and dangerous points. The Automobile Association of Slovenia is running its 11th “365 Days!” campaign, emphasizing that vigilance around children must continue beyond the first days of September.