No light, no bell, loud music in the ears – Before the Dahlewitzer Herbert Tschäpe high school police checked on Tuesday the bicycles of the students. Many of the wheels were not safe.
Tuesday began with a – not always pleasant – surprise for the students of the Herbert Tschäpe secondary school. When they entered the school grounds, the police were already waiting, especially for the cyclists. The Revierpolizisten Manfred Ewert and Uwe Depner checked whether lights, reflectors, and bell are available and work well.
Support was provided by the security community Blankenfelde-Mahlow and the prevention team of the police department West. Chief Inspector Ute Streckert and High Commissioner Axel Schugardt distributed reflectors, safety vests, reflective bags made of reflective fabrics, and informational materials to show what a safe bike is all about.
Police call out “days of visibility”
Throughout Brandenburg, the police have called the “days of visibility”. Until Thursday, especially cyclists are informed about the risks of the dark season. “People with dark clothes only recognize a car driver from a distance of around 25 meters,” explains Axel Schugardt. With light clothes, it is at least 40 meters. Anyone wearing reflective clothing or light can be seen 140 meters away.
Principal Michaela Töpelmann and her fellow teachers Lutz Schwabe and Matthias Stiller are at the school gate. “You know your Pappenheimer,” says Michaela Töpelmann. Most of the 267 students come by bike. Many wear headphones in their ears that play so loud music that they do not notice their surroundings. Others hang their cycling helmet over the handlebar instead of turning it over.
30 of the 82 bicycles have defects
The balance of the day: Of 82 controlled bicycles have 30 shortcomings. In most cases, the lighting is broken or not available at all, others do not have the prescribed reflectors front, rear, on the pedals and spokes, yet others lack the bell. A bike was particularly negative. “Apart from brakes, it did not have any safety-relevant parts,” says Axel Schugardt. Revierpolizist Manfred Ewert noted all the shortcomings on lists, which the students should work off.
That parents leave their children with such companions on the street, annoys Michaela Töpelmann. “Everything that serves security is good”. The Herbert Tschäpe high school is located directly on the busy L 40th “We have had some accidents here,” says the headmistress. Hot situations between motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians are not uncommon. Whether the action brings something permanent to the police? Michaela Töpelmann hopes.
Girls were more insightful
Some students, especially girls, found the action good, the boys were less insightful. Some dropped their bikes on the way. Olaf Lehnhardt, who is responsible for prevention in the Teltow-Fläming Police Inspectorate, wants to take some more breasts in the coming weeks. “I’ll do retraining,” he says. Silvia Fisch, chairman of the security community, is even more rigorous. “My son is not allowed to cycle to school until the light works. Until then he will run. ”