09/2020: Change of perspective film series

On 22.09.2020, representatives of the city of Aachen and the Aachen driving school Dovermann met for a change of perspective in road traffic. The aim of the campaign was to be able to identify and understand the individual challenges faced by drivers even more clearly by switching to bikes and trucks.

Frauke Burgdorff (Aachen City Planning Councillor), Ralf Dovermann (owner of the Dovermann Driving School), Isabel Strehle (Head of the Urban Development and Traffic Facilities Department), Uwe Müller (Head of the Traffic Planning and Mobility Department) and Claudia Nowak (Project Manager for the Road Safety Action Plan) set off on a bike ride on the Grabenring from Reallabor Theaterplatz.

Frauke Burgdorff then climbed into a 40-ton truck together with Ralf Dovermann and drove it along the avenue ring under expert guidance.

The direct transfer between the means of transport left a lasting impression on all participants. They expressed great respect for those who move the large trucks on a daily basis and described it as a great challenge to keep an eye on the complex events from this perspective in a traffic-safe manner. The perception of cyclists of being in close proximity to the large vehicles in traffic was also understood.

Everyone agreed that the understanding for one another, which was further strengthened by this campaign, should be applied much more often.

The idea for the change of perspective as part of the "AChtsam unterwegs für ein sicheres Miteinander im Straßenverkehr" campaign was born on March 10, 2020 during the 1st Aachen Road Safety Conference under the motto "Love needs distance". Participant Frauke Burgdorff asked Ralf Dovermann, as a representative of the driving schools, to join her in experiencing traffic from the perspective of cyclists. Ralf Dovermann replied "Of course I'll be there. But only if you drive a truck with me afterwards!" The city councillor didn't need to be told twice.

The second episode of the "Change of perspective in road traffic" series took place on 17.09.2021.

In this episode 2, Lord Mayor Sibylle Keupen changed her perspective: the passionate and convinced cyclist got behind the wheel of an ASEAG bus and, after a short briefing and accompanied by driving instructor Christof Extra, drove several laps around the ASEAG premises. In the course of the journey, she completed various tasks: Stopping at the kerb while ensuring barrier-free entry and exit, passing a bicycle while maintaining the legally defined minimum overtaking distance of 1.5 m, driving around tight bends and much more.

Sibylle Keupen was visibly impressed by the experience "Driving straight ahead seems similar to driving a car. But the exact approach to destinations and estimating the distance is a real challenge. The driver's cab is in front of the axle - that changes the steering behavior of this massive means of transport immensely compared to a car. Respect to those who master this on a daily basis."

Christof Extra also confirmed: "Precise steering and driving of this large bus is an important part of our drivers' training. They have a special responsibility in road traffic - both for the passengers on the bus and for the other road users around them. That's why, in addition to their driving skills, we train them to understand the needs of passengers as well as how such a large vehicle is perceived in traffic."

Afterwards, eight other Aachen residents had the opportunity to take a spin around ASEAG's premises. They had received tickets from the city of Aachen as rewards for taking part in the campaign via the "RydeUp" app or had won them from ASEAG on the Mobility Special and via Instagram.