Joining hands to build safe school routes for students

As the 2025-2026 school year approaches, traffic safety for students in urban areas of Dong Nai province has become a pressing concern, driven by growing congestion and the low awareness of some road users. Ensuring student safety requires coordinated efforts and shared responsibility among relevant authorities, schools, and families.

Traffic Police Team No.1 (Traffic Police Department, Dong Nai Provincial Police) controls traffic in Tam Hiep ward. Photo: Dang Tung

Concerns ahead of the new school year

In urban areas of Dong Nai, where traffic density is extremely high, ensuring traffic safety for students ahead of the new school year remains a top priority. By mid-August 2025, roads were already becoming congested with people and vehicles, particularly around schools hosting summer skills programs, during peak hours.

On roads such as Hung Dao Vuong (Tran Bien ward) and Nguyen Ai Quoc (Tam Hiep ward), it is common to see parents hastily navigating traffic jams to get their children to school, some even riding on sidewalks. These familiar scenes continue to raise concerns among parents, students, and teachers about traffic safety.

Pham Thi Kim Thoa, a resident of Tam Hiep ward, shared: "Every back-to-school season, I feel anxious. The streets are overcrowded, and in their rush, many people ignore traffic safety, making accidents a constant threat."

Thoa's concern is far from isolated. Many other parents share the same worry, particularly at busy intersections and roads such as Tan Hiep intersection, Tam Hiep roundabout, or near school gates along Nguyen Ai Quoc street, 30-4 street. These areas frequently see traffic congestion, illegal parking, parents crowding to pick up or drop off their children, and students crossing the road at unauthorized spots.

Improper behavior by adults can inadvertently set a negative example for students. As a result, some students, particularly at the secondary and high school levels, fail to follow traffic rules, such as not wearing helmets or riding recklessly at high speeds. Many gather or play in the middle of the street, or cross carelessly, creating obstructions and increasing the risk of traffic accidents. These seemingly harmless actions pose serious dangers, especially when vehicles are traveling at high speeds or drivers are not fully alert.

Pham Quang Viet, a student at a high school in Tam Hiep ward, said: "After school is the busiest time with many moving vehicles. Many friends play around and are not careful when crossing streets. Some even do not wear helmets."

In addition, traffic infrastructure near school gates remains a pressing concern. Many roads around schools lack traffic lights, lane markings, and clear signage. This shortage heightens anxiety among parents and teachers as they watch students weaving through heavy traffic on their way to and from school.

Dao Thi Nhan, a teacher at the Pedagogical Practice School under Dong Nai University, shared: "I worry a lot about students who have just moved up a grade, like grade 6 or grade 10, because they are unfamiliar with the streets and can panic if an incident occurs. I regularly remind them about traffic safety, from how to cross streets to walking correctly on marked lanes. However, with heavy traffic during peak hours, if students lack accident prevention skills, they face very high traffic safety risks."

Responsibility that belongs to everyone

In response to this situation, functional agencies in Dong Nai have been implementing practical measures to improve traffic, especially ensuring student safety as the new school year approaches. This undertaking includes close coordination between the police, the education sector, schools, and parents.

In the coming time, the Traffic Police Department (TPD), Dong Nai Provincial Police, will increase patrols, inspections, and strictly handle traffic violations, particularly around schools. Authorities will focus on acts such as giving vehicles to underage students, not wearing helmets, and riding in the wrong lanes. The purpose of these measures is to deter violations and raise public awareness of traffic laws. In parallel, school-based campaigns will continue to equip students not only with knowledge but also with skills to participate safely in traffic.

Traffic Police Team No.1 (TPD, Dong Nai Provincial Police) inspects compliance of parents picking up and dropping off students by motorbike in Tam Hiep ward. Photo: Dang Tung

Truong Thi Kim Hue, Provincial Party Committee member and Director of the Department of Education and Training, said: To ensure traffic safety for students at the start of the school year, the education sector has proactively integrated this content into both core and extracurricular programs. Through diverse activities such as flag ceremonies or forums, students are equipped with knowledge and skills in an engaging, memorable way. This endeavor allows them to participate in traffic more confidently and safely.

In addition, the Department of Education and Training also requires schools to closely coordinate with the traffic police to organize talks and provide safety guidance. Schools will work with parents to disseminate regulations, encourage parents to set an example, and not allow underage or unlicensed students to operate motorbikes. These measures aim to create consistency between education, family, and functional authorities to protect students on every journey.

In the first six months of 2025, the TPD organized 10 direct communication sessions at schools across the province for nearly 9,900 students and teachers. In parallel, more than 1,900 students and university students signed commitments to comply with regulations ensuring traffic order.

Notably, by setting an example through simple acts such as obeying traffic lights, not overtaking recklessly, and properly ensuring children wear helmets, parents also contribute to building a sustainable traffic culture. In addition, parents should regularly remind children how to cross streets safely, avoid gathering in front of school gates, and absolutely not give motorbikes to underage or unlicensed students.

Phan Van Vuong, Head of Neighborhood 2, Trang Dai ward, suggested: From an infrastructure perspective, authorities need to continue investing in sidewalks, lane markings, and traffic light systems at intersections near schools. They should also expand overloaded roads, install more cameras to monitor violations, and enforce penalties to limit traffic violations around school gates.

By: Dang Tung - Le Duy

Translated by: Minh Hanh - Minho