On Thursday, October 2, 246 students from various primary schools in the municipality of Schouwen-Duiveland gathered in the sports hall in Zierikzee for the 100% Traffic Safe event. The event, organized by the Regional Traffic Safety Organization Zeeland (ROVZ), is intended to raise awareness among schools about the possibility of obtaining the Zeeland Traffic Safety Label.
At 9 AM, Deputy Harry van der Maas (also chairman of the ROVZ) opened the event. He referred to the increase in young cycling victims and emphasized the main goal of this event: to raise awareness of the dangers faced by vulnerable cyclists.
After that, the students went in groups to the activities. There were six different activities, and each class could participate in three. There was a bike course with complicated cycling maneuvers, a braking distance demo showing what happens in a collision at a certain speed, a tractor with a beet harvester where students could experience how visible cyclists are on the road, and a traffic lab where various traffic situations and reaction times when distracted were tested in a playful and humorous way.
The highlight was a traffic quiz that tested knowledge of traffic rules through various traffic situations. All schools participated. The school that scored the best won a check for €500 to be spent on a traffic educational purpose. It turned out to be an exciting competition, but with a one-point difference, group 8 from the Theo Thijssen School in Zierikzee won. The proud class received the check from Alderman Poortvliet of the municipality of Schouwen-Duiveland on stage (see photo).
The event is organized annually in a different municipality by the ROVZ. This is a collaboration between the Province of Zeeland, all Zeeland municipalities, the water board Scheldestromen, the Rijkswaterstaat, and several organizations focused on traffic safety. For schools, this event is free of charge. It is a great way to get acquainted with the traffic educational program of the ROVZ. Furthermore, schools can participate in the Zeeland Traffic Safety Label to organize more traffic educational activities at their own school.
