Motorcycle Liberation: Riding with Impunity
During the summer holidays, an intensive bicycle course is being held at Pastorenweg elementary school in Bremen. The course, organised by Landesverkehrswacht Bremen and the working group "aber sicher! Together for a traffic-safe Bremen", is attended by approximately 35 children.
The course is designed to make children safe cyclists and provide them with an environmentally friendly means of transportation. Verena Noelle, coordinator for mobility and traffic education in Bremen, explains that the aim is to reduce the number of children failing their bicycle license exams and to help those who cannot ride a bicycle at all.
The working group includes the police in Bremen, and children who cannot bring their own bicycle can borrow one for the course. Branded helmets are given to the children after the course. The intensive bicycle courses have been established for five years, and around 200 children are participating in the courses at four locations in Bremen.
Nikola Schroth, a consultant at the Senator for Children and Education, warns that the courses and traffic education at schools are not enough to catch up on children who cannot or do not know how to ride a bicycle safely. The prevention action is financially supported by sponsors such as ADAC Weser Ems, AOK Bremen/Bremerhaven, Gewoba, Sparkasse Bremen, and Brebau.
Verena Noelle explains that the practice method relieves teachers next year when teaching the bicycle license, as many children do not learn to ride a bicycle at home. According to her, the percentage of children who did not pass their bicycle license was over 90 percent at some schools five years ago, but has since been reduced to about 20 percent.
The children who could not ride a bicycle at all on Monday are initially practicing balancing on scooters before getting on the bicycles. The courses give children confidence, according to Nikola Schroth.
The courses are for children who have not passed their bicycle license at the end of fourth grade, as well as those who cannot ride a bicycle at all. Bicycles, helmets, and practice materials for the course are provided by the working group under the leadership of Landesverkehrswacht Bremen.
The intensive bicycle course in Bremen, not only aims to make children safe cyclists but also offers home-and-garden friendly transportation options as part of a broader lifestyle choice. Additionally, Verena Noelle, the coordinator for mobility and traffic education in Bremen, emphasizes the role of these courses in improving children's education and self-development by reducing the percentage of children failing their bicycle license exams and teaching independence through cycling.
