Hand signals in traffic: danger for children

Two schoolchildren are standing at the pedestrian crossing and want to cross the road. We stop and give them a signal to cross. What's wrong with that?

July 12, 2024

• 4 minutes reading time

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Meaning well is dangerous here

We humans like to be nice, especially to children.
So the following situation seems completely normal to us: On your way to work early in the morning, you drive past near a school.
Two children are waiting at the pedestrian crossing for you to stop.
As they have right of way, you brake and stop – and wave the two waiting children across the road with a gesture.
The children laugh, wave back and run off.

Completely normal, right?
But Raphael Hermann, police officer and head of road safety education at the Fribourg cantonal police, says: “It’s important that the vehicle stops completely”.
He explains why traffic education experts advise against hand signals to children: “They convey a false sense of security. Are we completely sure that the rest of the road is safe to cross? That’s why we teach children: Only cross the road when the car comes to a complete stop. Once they have internalized this behavior, there is no need for hand signals.
Children are learners in every area of life, whether in kindergarten or school or on the way there.

"Drivers' hand signals are often misleading and can put children in dangerous situations."

Traffic quiz with competition

60 percent give a show of hands

Our friendliness is out of place in the situation described, but it is widespread.
A representative survey of 1,500 Swiss drivers commissioned by the Road Safety Fund came to the conclusion that 60 percent of them would give a hand signal in such a situation.
With a clear conscience and unaware that this is potentially dangerous.

The accidents registered by the police show that 1,300 children are injured on Swiss roads every year.
This means that in an average week, 25 children are injured on Swiss roads on their way to school, back home or during their free time.
“Cognitively, a child cannot act like an adult”, Hermann continues.
“They have trouble recognizing dangers.”
The number of unreported cases is also high, as minor injuries in particular tend not to be reported and are therefore not included in the statistics.

Problem of role model function

We actually want to prevent such accidents with the hand signal, but we give the children a sense of security in this situation that we cannot guarantee.
Adults act as role models for children on the road.
When we wave, this is not questioned.
Children think to themselves: “The man or woman is right”.
In this situation, we take on the function of a traffic light and they start running.

What we don’t know: Is there another car in the other lane?
Is the person in the car behind us misjudging the situation, rushing, trying to overtake?
Is an e-bike coming out of the blind spot on the bike lane?
As the person waving, are we completely sure that we know the traffic situation in its entirety?
What if we don’t?
“Our advice to children: try to make eye contact with drivers,” emphasizes Hermann.

"Children interpret hand signals differently and could run into the road without paying attention to the traffic."

Children need to learn - not just at school

The reason why there are road accidents involving children is that they are only just learning how to behave correctly on the road.
Mistakes happen, as they do everywhere in life.
In road traffic, however, the situation is particularly delicate because serious injuries are possible.

But what is the right way to behave when children are waiting at pedestrian crossings?
Traffic education expert Hermann explains: “By behaving as we would with adults. We stop at the crosswalk and let the pedestrians cross the road”, without hand signals.
In this way, children get used to a completely normal traffic situation.

"Safety is guaranteed when drivers stop and give way to children without hand signals."

Interview with Dagmar Rösler, primary school teacher and President of the Dachverband Lehrerinnen und Lehrer Schweiz: “Children are learners in a complex situation”.

What could prevent children from correctly recognizing the hand signals of car drivers?

Dagmar Rösler:

Some car drivers wave, others wave. Interpreting hand signals correctly can sometimes be extremely difficult for children due to their not yet fully developed cognitive abilities. Another problem is perspective. Depending on the situation, children may not or almost not be able to recognize the hand signal because they simply cannot see behind the windscreen. However, the main problem remains that children can perceive the hand signal as a request and therefore no longer pay attention to other traffic themselves.

What other problems can arise from hand signals?

Perhaps not everyone reacts to the hand signal in the same way. One child waits, the other walks. The third hesitates and then crosses the road without paying attention to oncoming traffic. If the children in a group behave differently, this can lead to uncertainty.

"Hand signals can be misunderstood and endanger children's safety on the road."

Dagmar Rösler

How do I react as a driver in such a situation?

It is best to wait patiently. It is better to take your time at the pedestrian crossing and thus ensure the necessary safety. You must always be aware that children in road traffic are learners in a complex situation.

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