The start of school marks the end of carefree summer days and the beginning of various new tasks and obligations. For first graders, the first step into school is a unique experience, and for their parents it’s a challenge to prepare them for unfamiliar situations, such as getting to and from school safely. Zavarovalnica Triglav thus draws attention to children's safety in traffic through an annual preventive action with its mascot, Willy Watchdog (in Slovene: Kuža Pazi). This year, the lovable mascot ensured that pupils crossed the road safely in front of more than 40 schools across Slovenia.
For many years, Willy Watchdog has been warning children about different situations in which accidents can happen. At the moment, most of the focus is on the start of the school year. This year, some 193,000 pupils returned to school, including many first graders who have not yet had much experience of negotiating traffic on their own. That's why Willy Watchdog visited more than 40 schools across Slovenia again this year to teach children how to cross the road safely and how to behave in traffic. In some places, he was joined by a storyteller who prepared an entertaining lesson for the first graders. Through the story, she gave tips on how to deal with traffic safely, explained the importance of the bright yellow scarf that’s typically worn by the youngest pupils so they stand out in traffic, and told them how to play safely in playgrounds. The first graders also received colouring books in which Willy Watchdog points out, in a way that’s fun, educational and easy to understand, the different situations in which accidents can occur and in which they are bound to find themselves as they grow up: crossing the road, cycling, hiking, skiing, etc.
To make children even more visible in traffic, this year, as it has done for the past 40 years, Zavarovalnica Triglav distributed more than 20,000 yellow scarves to all first graders. They were given out on the first day of school, together with a sample issues of the magazines Ciciban and Cicido.
For added safety, as part of the prevention campaign floor stickers with a prevention-focused message have been placed at pedestrian crossings near schools in around 200 locations across the country, reminding children to cross the road safely.
“For many years, Zavarovalnica Triglav has been actively contributing to ensuring greater traffic safety. Through various initiatives and prevention campaigns, we raise drivers' awareness of the importance of safe driving and help create a safer environment for all road users, including the youngest ones. Our long-standing participation in these efforts reflects our commitment to responsible driving behaviour and our concern for the safety of all children on their way to school,” said Luka Pušnik, Director of Corporate Communications Department at Zavarovalnica Triglav.
With the start of the school year, drivers need to be even more careful as traffic becomes heavier. This is especially true around schools, where adhering to traffic signs and adjusting speed are crucial. Drivers are also often reminded of this by the speed indicator displays that are placed in prominent positions in such locations, more than 120 of which have been co-financed by Zavarovalnica Triglav in recent years.
