Primary School Wereldkids Albatros in Zeist wins ANWB Traffic Square

The ANWB Traffic Square was specially developed to allow primary school pupils, together with their teacher, to practise dealing with challenging traffic situations in a safe environment. “Our school is located on the COA site, where traffic safety is a challenge. Many of our pupils are newcomers and are not yet familiar with the Dutch traffic rules. The ANWB Traffic Square gives them the opportunity to learn how to navigate traffic safely,” says teacher Frances van de Graaf.

The ‘An ANWB Traffic Square for a School Playground’ campaign is an initiative of the ANWB Fund. Almost 350 schools throughout the Netherlands registered for the campaign, and nearly 90,000 people voted for their favourite school. In each province, one school playground is transformed into an ANWB Traffic Square.

The importance of traffic safety

For a century, children have been learning traffic rules and how to cycle properly thanks to the ANWB. The increasingly busy traffic was the reason for the ANWB to take action in 1924. It started with classroom posters depicting dangerous traffic situations, followed by initiatives such as traffic stickers and the traffic album, which raised children's awareness of traffic rules in a fun way. In the 1950s, the ANWB worked with Veilig Verkeer Nederland to provide assistance at crossings through (volunteer) crossing guards, and in the 1990s they introduced the ANWB Trapvaardig programme to improve children's cycling skills. In 2024, the organisation provides traffic education to around 200,000 children through ANWB Streetwise.

To celebrate 100 years of commitment to traffic safety, all 2,000 ANWB Streetwise schools will receive an ANWB traffic poster this year; a search picture for pupils featuring the most common traffic situations around schools. The new search picture is a nod to the classroom posters with which the ANWB first entered classrooms 100 years ago.

The importance of traffic safety has increased significantly in recent years. With new means of transport such as electric cars and e-bikes, as well as increasing congestion on the roads, traffic education remains very important. The ANWB is responding to this with programmes such as ANWB Streetwise and digital traffic games. In addition to traffic education at schools, the ANWB advocates lifelong learning about traffic safety. This includes a free online theory lesson for members and the Veilig Rijden car insurance. The ANWB also provides advice on wearing bicycle helmets and new traffic rules, and offers practical courses such as the RijZeker training. These initiatives help children and adults participate safely in traffic.

For more information: www.anwb.nl/wineenverkeersplein.

In the photo from left to right: Hanneke van Nieuwenhuijzen (principal of Wereldkids Albatros primary school), primary school children and Annemarie Gerards (ANWB Fund advisory committee member).