Children and teenagers are now using bicycles only half as often as they did in 1994, according to a study published by Astra last year. However, regular cycling helps children familiarize themselves with road traffic and improve their coordination skills. To equip children for cycling, TCS has been organizing the Kids Bike Challenge since 1996. Today, 170 children aged 10 and above from the cantons of Zurich, Bern, Aargau, and Solothurn participated in Olten.
In collaboration with the Canton Police Solothurn, TCS organized various stations with theory and practice, which the children eagerly completed. Through various exercises and role-plays, participants were taught the correct behavior in traffic. The aim of the Kids Bike Challenge is to reduce the risk of accidents on the bicycle and ensure children travel safely. This is achieved in a playful way so that children sustainably enjoy cycling and remember the Kids Bike Challenge. It requires not only theory but also practical exercises supervised by professionals from the police and TCS.
Skill, Knowledge, and Awareness
The programme included awareness of blind spots, a skills course, a workshop on visibility, correct behavior in accidents, and a theory test. Thanks to the varied programme, the children were able to extensively train and improve their cycling skills to navigate traffic safely. For Marc Bärtsch, TCS expert for traffic safety, the Kids Bike Challenge was a complete success: "The children were very enthusiastic and made visible progress. This shows that this event makes an important contribution to a safe cycling experience."
Four Children Participate in the European Competition
The Kids Bike Challenge in Olten ended with the award ceremony for the boys and girls who scored best in the skill exercises and the theory test. Additionally, two girls and two boys were selected to represent Switzerland in the European Traffic Education Competition of the FIA. The competition, taking place this autumn in the Czech Republic, will see teams from all over Europe competing in workshops centred around traffic safety.
Press Contact:
Marco Wölfli, Media Spokesperson TCS
Tel. 058 827 34 03
marco.woelfli@tcs.ch