“Otherwise more children will die on our streets”
Now the daddy is talking about the crosswalk video
A schoolboy had to wait forever at a pedestrian crossing in Leimiswil BE because no car stopped. The video of it went viral on Tiktok and caused quite a stir. Now the father of the six-year-old, who put the video online, is speaking.
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Pascal Schär (37) posted the video on Tiktok. His son has to cross this crosswalk every day.
The video goes straight to the heart. A little schoolboy stands at a pedestrian crossing in Leimiswil BE, cars and a truck drive past him unchecked. They just won’t let him across the street.
A security camera shot went viral on Tiktok. The video shows the son (6) of Pascal Schär (37). He posted it online. “I want to make drivers aware that they should drive carefully through the villages,” says the health expert to Blick. “Otherwise more children will die on our streets.”
The video was shot right in front of Pascal Schär’s house in the rural hamlet. “We have a small self-service shop. I pointed the surveillance camera at the street and then used the recording. Of course, I made sure that no one was recognizable.”
Drivers even write on their laptops
The road is very dangerous. Schär on Blick: “The drivers look at their cell phones, I’ve even seen some on the laptop.” Most would also drive faster than the permitted 50 km/h. “When the cars didn’t even stop for me, I just had to do something.”
He made representations to the community, but they can’t do anything. The zebra crossing leads over a cantonal road. When he reported his problem to the canton, he was brushed off. Only now, after the Tiktok video and all the attention, things are moving.
After Tiktok the reaction
Compared to Blick, Reto Bühler, deputy chief engineer from the cantonal construction and traffic department, confirms that something is happening now. Before the video, the zebra crossing was not noticed negatively.
Now that the municipality has sent the video to the canton, the canton is taking action. ‘We’ll look into it. Our specialists will look at this in detail on site and check whether all safety aspects have been met,” promises Bühler.
Because the recordings would clearly show that the boy’s right of way was disregarded. Pedestrians would also have to show themselves clearly and give a clear signal. The kid did everything right. Just not the handlebars.
Cars drive slower
Schär never thought that his video would have an impact so quickly. “Since the video, people have been driving more slowly and carefully. And the fact that the canton is looking at the situation is also a success.”
His son has to cross the street there every day. It is on the way to the school bus near the former primary school. Until the situation improves, he will be accompanied by his parents. “He has to regain his trust,” says the father. “Cars haven’t stopped so often now. It is too dangerous. But we now have hope that everything will turn out well.”