Two children are waiting at a pedestrian crossing. A truck is approaching from the left. It stops five metres short of the zebra crossing. The children stay where they are and look up at the driver’s cab. The driver beckons them across the road with a friendly wave. Only then do the kids start walking. Well done, you three! But things don’t always go this well. Every vehicle – especially large ones – has areas that the driver cannot see. This is dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists. Children, in particular, need to be aware of the dangers posed by blind spots. This is where we come in.

For several years now, we have been committed to improving road safety. That’s why we launched a blind spot training course. At the request of parent associations, school heads, teachers or traffic police, our trainers visit primary schools throughout Switzerland with a Planzer truck. In the playground, schoolchildren are allowed to sit in the cab and see what it’s like behind the wheel. This allows them to experience blind spots at first hand and teaches them to recognise the risk. The local police are also usually in attendance at these sessions. They explain the right way to behave, such as making targeted eye contact, for example. These informative demonstrations help around 4,000 children in Switzerland learn how to safely avoid this particular road traffic hazard every year. The extensive positive feedback we receive from children, pupils, teachers and parents shows that our on-site training courses are very much appreciated.

You can find the basic rules for recognising and avoiding blind spots in our Planzer flyer ‘Beware of blind spots!’.

Every year, children in Year 4 attend a half-day road safety course at the Aubrugg traffic training facility. Following a brief theory session, they practise the correct behaviour in traffic on borrowed bikes in small groups. The focus is on using hand signals when turning left, stopping at stop signs and right-of-way rules. The Planzer truck ‘Blind spot training – improved safety for all!’ teaches the children about the dangers of blind spots. Finally, they apply their learning on the streets, accompanied by the traffic police.