"It's about increasing safety in traffic," said the new mayor of Saarlouis, Marc Speicher. "Therefore, I have ordered that speed checks be focused primarily in the coming weeks in the areas around schools and kindergartens. It must not give the impression that the city is only trying to make money. We are supporting the campaign for speed checks around schools and kindergartens with the poster campaign 'Mir passen off,' which especially at the beginning of the dark season draws attention to taking special care of children and students," said Mayor Speicher.
The kickoff of the campaign took place at the Martin Luther King School on the Kreuzberg in Fraulautern. The city of Saarlouis and the district launched this initiative together to improve safety in road traffic, especially in front of kindergartens and schools.
"Our children must be able to move safely on their way to and from school. We take this responsibility very seriously," explains Mayor Marc Speicher, who initiated the campaign. District Administrator Patrik Lauer adds: "Unfortunately, it still happens repeatedly that road users behave recklessly and drive in an inappropriate manner. This leads to dangerous situations, especially for children and young people. 'Mir passen off' is a very good and important campaign in this context to draw attention to the concerns of those in need of protection and to raise awareness among everyone about this issue."
Goals and Measures of the Campaign
The campaign "Mir passen off" aims to improve road safety through the positive appeal of the posters to pay attention to children in traffic, as well as through increased speed controls near schools and kindergartens.
City of Saarlouis brings district and German Traffic Watch on board
It is particularly pleasing that the district and the traffic safety association have accepted the mayor's invitation and are participating in the campaign. The traffic safety association contributes its expertise in traffic education and prevention to the campaign. "As chairman of the Kreisverkehrswacht Saarlouis e.V., I appeal to all drivers: lights on – especially during the dark autumn and winter months! Good visible lighting on the vehicle and adapted driving behavior are crucial to recognize vulnerable road users such as children in time and to avoid accidents. Children, in particular, are often difficult to see behind obstacles and other vehicles in road traffic and are therefore especially at risk in poor visibility," said Maik Müller.
Through targeted controls and extensive awareness campaigns, the initiators hope for a significant improvement in traffic safety around daycares and schools. "We want to raise awareness for mindful and considerate behavior in road traffic and hope that the campaign will lead to noticeable relief for children, parents, and residents," emphasizes Mayor Speicher.
