On Friday 12 September 2025, primary school CBS De Regenboog in Nieuwendijk will receive a special road safety lesson. That day marks the second edition of the National “Stay Out of the Blind Spot” Day. Ambassador Romy Ruitenbeek will give pupils practical tips on how to stay safe around large vehicles such as trucks, buses and tractors.
National “Stay Out of the Blind Spot” Day is an initiative by Transport en Logistiek Nederland (TLN) and Veilig Verkeer Nederland (VVN) to make children aware of the dangers of the blind spot around trucks and other large vehicles. The blind spot is the area around a vehicle that a driver cannot see, even with the help of mirrors.
The stakes are high: there are still many serious and fatal crashes involving large vehicles. Recent figures from VeiligheidNL and Statistics Netherlands (CBS) show that in 2024 no fewer than 2,400 more cyclists ended up at the emergency department than in 2023. In total, 246 cyclists lost their lives, including 18 children aged 0–14. These figures underline just how urgently blind-spot road safety education is needed.
6,000 primary schools
Especially for this day, all 6,000 primary schools in the Netherlands will get access to a short lesson video in which Romy explains what the blind spot is and how children can behave safely in traffic. After watching the video, pupils answer three questions so that the core message really sticks.
Sign a traffic pact
After the Veilig op Weg lesson for pupils in group 8 in Nieuwendijk, the children sign a traffic pact together with the truck driver: they promise to look out for one another in traffic. To underline the life-saving importance of the lesson, Romy also takes part in the blind-spot demonstration, in which children experience for themselves how limited the view from a truck cab can be. They also learn key rules of thumb such as: always stay to the right and well behind large vehicles, and keep at least three metres away from the truck.
Children are often vulnerable road users. By experiencing for themselves how big the blind spot is and by
signing a traffic pact together with the driver, they better understand that safety is a shared
responsibility. That knowledge, and that promise, can literally save their lives.
Key takeaways
- Second edition of National “Stay Out of the Blind Spot” Day focuses on practical road safety education.
- All 6,000 primary schools receive a short lesson video with three questions to anchor the message.
- Pupils in group 8 sign a traffic pact with a truck driver: shared responsibility.
- A hands-on blind-spot experience shows just how limited visibility around large vehicles can be.
- An initiative by TLN and VVN to reduce serious and fatal crashes involving heavy vehicles.
