Hoogstraten Schools Launch Safety Maps for Children After Fatal Accident

Hoogstraten, Belgium, is prioritizing the safety of its youngest residents with the introduction of detailed route maps for all eight primary schools in the municipality. Children traveling to school on foot or by bicycle can now access these maps to identify the safest paths from their homes.

The initiative stems from a tragic incident two years ago when a 12-year-old student from De Scharrel primary school in Minderhout died in an accident. In response, the VIHV (Veilig in Hoogstraten Vertoeven – Safe to Stay in Hoogstraten) working group was formed, comprising school representatives, the mobility officer, and the mobility alderman.

“

We worked with the school management to identify safe routes, bottlenecks, and points of attention around the school environments. It's a very good initiative because I notice that cycling is not equally safe everywhere, both for me as a mother and for my sons. I hope many parents will use it.

"We worked with the school management to identify safe routes, bottlenecks, and points of attention around the school environments," explained Annelien Peeraer from the parent council of the primary school in Meer. "It's a very good initiative because I notice that cycling is not equally safe everywhere, both for me as a mother and for my sons. I hope many parents will use it."

The project is not limited to primary schools. The VIHV group plans to develop similar safety maps for secondary schools next academic year, recognizing that potential dangers may differ for older students. The maps are available digitally, and a reporting point has been established for citizens to flag dangerous situations, allowing the city to assess and implement necessary traffic improvements.

“

All 8 primary schools have jumped on board to organize a walking and cycling event. After that, all information was compiled into clear maps.