Rotterdam, Tuesday 24 January 2023 - Veilig op Weg! Blijf uit de dode hoek® is introducing the Veilig op Weg mug today. This mug, which teachers can proudly use at school, features illustrations inspired by traffic situations involving the blind spot around large vehicles. Mr Aad-Jan from primary school Het Baken in Berkel en Rodenrijs receives the very first illustrated mug today. Instructor Corina Hamer has the honour of handing it to him.
Teachers
It is a familiar sight: teachers carrying their own mug into the classroom every day. A quick cup of tea or coffee before class begins. The mug travels from the classroom to the staff room and back again throughout the day. Children and adults alike repeatedly see the mug and its Stay out of the blind spot message.
The Veilig op Weg mug
The Veilig op Weg mug stands on the teacher's desk, or they carry it around the school. Either way, it stands out. The colours are cheerful, the message is serious and the visual style is playful. If the mug could speak, it would talk about blind spots, large vehicles and other dangers for children cycling in traffic. Instead, the mug tells that story as a comic strip.
Using a mug as a comic strip
It is well known that an image can say more than a thousand words. Because every mug features a comic strip, Veilig op Weg helps children become aware of traffic dangers in a playful way. There are ten different comic-strip designs, including the two key safety rules of Veilig op Weg.
Corina Hamer, truck driver and Veilig op Weg instructor, about the mugs
“I think it is fantastic that I get to hand out the Veilig op Weg mugs to all the teachers of the children I
teach during the Veilig op Weg traffic lesson. I love the combination of a mug and a comic-strip message
about the blind spot around large vehicles. It stands out, children and adults become curious and want to
take a closer look at the strip. And that means they immediately see the Stay out of the blind spot message.
How great is that?”
Teacher Aad-Jan de Heij of OBS Het Baken in Berkel en Rodenrijs about the mugs
“How incredibly cool that I get to receive the very first illustrated Veilig op Weg mug. What a great
initiative. Everyone walks around here with mugs all the time. Most of them are boring. This one is
cheerful, original and shows an important message about road safety for young road users.”
Safety rules
- Safety rule 1: Always stay on the right and well behind a truck.
- Safety rule 2: Keep at least three metres away from a large vehicle.
About Veilig op Weg! Blijf uit de dode hoek®
The Veilig op Weg traffic lesson is taught by several instructors: Corina and Mark from TLN, and Harry from PreZero. They travel across the Netherlands every day to make children in years 7 and 8 of primary school aware of the dangers of large vehicles in traffic. Every day, thousands of children cycle to school. To stay safe on the road, it is important that they understand the dangers they may encounter in traffic. The blind spot lesson from Veilig op Weg teaches children how to cycle safely and independently, including by making them aware of the blind spot around large vehicles. Veilig op Weg! Blijf uit de dode hoek® is an initiative of Transport and Logistiek Nederland (TLN) in cooperation with Veilig Verkeer Nederland (VVN).
