Road safety class given to Cannington youngsters (From Bridgwater Mercury)
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Road safety class given to Cannington youngsters
7:40pm Saturday 12th January 2013 in News
Children learned about the dangers of HGVs and were given high-vis hats.
STAYING safe on the roads was the theme of a day of demonstrations and talks given to pupils at Cannington Primary School.
Firefighters and police officers were joined by members of Somerset Road Safety and DHL for a series of hands-on demonstrations covering six areas: in-car safety including road sign recognition, use of seat belts and high-vis clothing, pedestrian training, bike safety, road safety, HGV awareness and understanding stopping distances.
For the HGV session, DHL brought an articulated lorry into the playground so that children could learn about particular dangers associated with such vehicles, including blind spots.
An interactive fire appliance helped pupils learn about stopping distances.
The day finished with pupils taking part in a short play and demonstration about the skills they had learned.
Sgt Steve Crago, from the Hinkley beat team, said: “This is an excellent example of a multi-agency approach for an initiative on road safety for some of the most vulnerable members of our community.
“All the children had a fabulous day learning some important life skills.
“We know from the content of the day, that these young people will relay our message to their parents about how they can also contribute to safer driving when next on the road.”
Clair Nurse, head teacher of Cannington Primary School, said: “The children haven’t stopped talking about their experiences of the workshops and practical activities.
“Pupils gave feedback about each session with clear excitement but most importantly recounted the crucial messages they received including the stopping distance of cars, blind spots for HGV drivers and ways to be a good pedestrian and cyclist.
“Our staff and volunteers were incredibly impressed by the presentation of activities and the commitment shown to ensuring all pupils received and understood the information being given.”
Organisers hope to repeat the day of demonstrations in other schools.
