The initiative, based on the colourful world of children’s toy Playmobil, has been targeted at making drivers aware of the risks faced by children at the start of a new school year and is backed up by new TV advertisements, radio spots, posters and print ads. The message is simple: motorists must come to a complete stop at pedestrian crossings to allow children to cross.

Each year, 530 children are involved in accidents on Swiss roads as pedestrians. Six of these accidents have fatal consequences. In traffic education children learn that they may only cross the street when the wheels of approaching vehicles have come to a complete stop. This is due to the fact that children are often unable to estimate the speed of cars and the distance they may be at.

When the new school terms began in Switzerland in mid-August, TCS asked the Swiss population to show their solidarity by writing the campaign motto on their car tyres with chalk provided to them. Countless people participated and posted pictures on social media, including Federal Councillor and Minister of Transportation Doris Leuthard.

“With this campaign we did not simply initiate a new way to communicate, it also became a real grassroots movement” says Helmut Gierer, Communication & Campaign Manager TCS.

Contact: Jessica.Tritten@tcs.ch