The Verkehrsgesellschaft Frankfurt am Main (VGF) has launched a prevention campaign that uses powerful messages to promote greater awareness in road traffic. Under the motto "What happened?", posters, digital ads and posts on social media are intended to raise awareness among road users, especially at road, rail and pedestrian crossings.
Rising accident figures as an alarm signal
The accident statistics of recent years show a worrying trend: 420 accidents in 2023, 354 by the end of November 2024, including five fatalities. The main causes are carelessness, distraction by smartphones or disregarding traffic rules such as red lights. Streetcars and subway trains in particular, which cannot swerve due to their weight and long braking distance, are often involved. According to the VGF, 83 percent of accidents are caused by the misconduct of other road users.
Safety measures and new approaches
In order to prevent accidents, the VGF has implemented various measures in recent years. These include conspicuous signage, yellow-marked crossings and so-called Z-grids, which force pedestrians to be aware of approaching trains before crossing the tracks. With the new campaign, however, the VGF is going one step further: its aim is not only to inform, but also to make people think.
Campaign with an emotional approach
The core of the campaign is the question "What happened.?" - it leads to fictitious accident reports on the website sicherffm.de, which are based on real events. Photos of objects such as broken headphones or a damaged side mirror illustrate tragic scenarios. This is accompanied by interviews with rescue workers, train drivers and witnesses to shed light on the complex consequences of an accident.
"These accidents could happen to anyone, but they are preventable," explains Mobility Director Wolfgang Siefert. "Every accident affects not only the victims, but also first responders, emergency services and witnesses. We must work together to ensure greater caution."
Michael Kraus, Head of VGF Operations, emphasizes: "Our employees from the transport service and crisis intervention team share their experiences publicly - a courageous step that shows how far-reaching the consequences of such events are."
Awareness-raising for all target groups
In addition to raising public awareness, VGF is also planning prevention offers for schools and senior citizens. The campaign is intended to contribute to safer behavior in road traffic in the long term.
The VGF is calling on people to become aware of their own responsibility: "Take care of yourself and others!" The campaign starts on Monday, December 9.
