On 10 September 2026, the third Dutch National Stay Out of the Blind Spot Day brought together hands-on traffic education, new nationwide research and national media coverage. In Rotterdam, a lesson at a primary school became part of a much wider conversation, with organisations across the country helping to carry the message.

A striking gap between knowing and doing

82%believe they know how to stay safe around a stationary truck

32%choose the safe position in the traffic scenario presented

Transport en Logistiek Nederland (TLN) and Veilig Verkeer Nederland (VVN) marked National Blind Spot Day by presenting new nationwide research from Motivaction. It revealed a striking gap between people’s confidence in their knowledge and the choices they made.

82% believe they know how to stay safe around a stationary truck. Yet when shown a realistic traffic situation, only 32% chose the safe position. Two thirds picked a spot where the driver might not be able to see them.

That gap between knowing and doing became a central message of this year’s campaign. Recognising the term “blind spot” is one thing. Choosing the safe place when it matters is another.

Research: Motivaction, commissioned by TLN and VVN. The sample comprised 1,052 Dutch respondents aged 18–80 who had used a two-wheeler in traffic during the previous twelve months.

Read the research from TLN (Dutch)

A Veilig op Weg road safety lesson in a classroom at Het Tangram.

Pupils eagerly raise their hands during the road safety lesson.

Experiencing the blind spot first-hand

At Het Tangram primary school in Rotterdam, pupils in group 7 took part in a Veilig op Weg lesson. Learning began in the classroom and continued outside, around the trucks and inside the cab.

Corina Hamer led the session in her role as a driver and instructor with Veilig op Weg. With her guidance, the children experienced what a driver can see, and what stays hidden.

A moment in the driver’s seat can make the point more clearly than a long explanation: someone can be standing right beside a heavy vehicle and still be completely out of sight.

The Veilig op Weg campaign truck ready for the practical lesson.

Children look out from the cab at classmates beside the truck.

A screen inside the cab shows the area beside the truck.

Video: Verwaaij Media

From the schoolyard to national media

The research attracted widespread coverage that same morning. National Blind Spot Day featured on RTL Nieuws, Editie NL, 112 Vandaag, Hart van Nederland, Rijnmond, Qmusic, Radio 538 and Bert op 5 on NPO Radio 5. Online publications and trade media also covered the story, including Metro and Transport Online.

65unique LinkedIn posts

63different LinkedIn accounts

25results during the monitoring period

1.5Mpotential reach according to Lumen/Talkwalker

Media monitoring source: Lumen/Talkwalker, 8–14 September 2026. Potential reach is an estimate, not a count of people actually reached.

Selected media coverage

A camera operator films a presenter beside the campaign truck.

A pupil speaks into a microphone about the blind spot.

One message, many voices

On LinkedIn alone, we identified 65 unique posts from 63 different accounts. The message was also widely shared on Instagram and Facebook, although we do not have complete platform data for either.

Transport companies, road safety organisations, schools, drivers and partners shared the message with their own audiences. Together, they made the issue visible in many different places on the same day.

Video: Verwaaij Media

Trucks and traffic cones at the practical lesson site.

What happens after a campaign goes out

GBE has worked on the campaign for several years, from strategy and concept to campaign development, content, digital and activation. What stood out this year was how readily organisations took the message into their own hands.

For GBE, a campaign’s strength also lies in what happens next. When schools, drivers, organisations and others pass the message on to their own communities, it becomes bigger than any one voice.