From next year, anyone driving near a school may receive a warning to drive more carefully. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (I&W) reports Wednesday that in the course of 2024 it will share data about the locations and holidays of schools with providers of navigation apps, so that they can pass on notifications to motorists. The digital notification is in addition to the signs in school zones.
A spokesperson for I&W says that the ministry is in contact with Google Maps and car brands Kia and Hyundai, among others. “They plan to use the data we make available next year.” How exactly is up to the companies themselves: for example, they can also choose to divert the route around the school zone instead of a warning.
Last December, a trial with warnings via navigation systems started in five municipalities. Motorists received a warning if they were driving near a school around the start or end of a school day, for example in the form of a voice message or a warning text with the message: “You are approaching a school zone. Moderate your speed.”
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According to I&W, of the 3,500 participants in that trial, more than two-thirds indicated that they found the warning via the apps valuable, and half said they had adjusted their driving behavior after a warning. Because of these results, I&W will soon process the school data in its so-called National Road Traffic Data Portal, from which providers of navigation apps obtain traffic information. The government is working more often with navigation apps to improve road safety.
Outgoing I&W Minister Mark Harbers (VVD) calls the outcome of the test “very nice” in a statement. “If people adjust their driving behavior due to an alarm they receive in their car, they are extra alert and this reduces the risk of accidents.” According to the spokesperson, the Netherlands is the first country to make such warnings possible around schools.