Children from Dilton Marsh Primary School had the chance to sit in a 44-tonne tanker lorry as part of a joint cycle safety initiative between the school and local company Lafarge Tarmac.
The vehicle visited the school as part of a health and safety event run by the company’s nearby Westbury site, and aimed to educate the children about the importance of vigilance and safety when cycling, particularly when large vehicles are around. It also gave pupils a ‘driver’s view’ from the cab, so they could see the safety features the drivers have to improve their visibility.
Judith Finney, headmistress of Dilton Marsh Primary said, “We were only too delighted to welcome Simon Gray and Lafarge Tarmac to school as part of their scheme to help educate children about not only the dangers of lorries on the roads, but also how they can cycle more safely to avoid some of those dangers.
“We do take part in the L.A. Bikeability Programme for schools and the Lafarge Tarmac input complimented the road safety training that the children had already received.
“Many of the children commented on their surprise at the lack of visibility that a lorry driver has of small vehicles and people around the lorry. They all said that this visit has made them think more about how they behave when they are out on their bike, and also to have more awareness of the problems facing the lorries on the road. I think that our children will be safer on their bikes as a result of the visit.”
Simon Gray of Lafarge Tarmac, who lives near the school, gave a lively safety presentation to the 9-11 year old children, which included discussing blind spots for lorry drivers, testing the childrens’ alertness and awareness, and discussing the 100,000 lorry deliveries every day in the UK.
Simon said, “There is a real passion for health and safety within Lafarge Tarmac and as a responsible operator of the largest fleet in the industry, we are committed to improving vulnerable road user safety. We are determined to ensure that drivers are equipped with the latest safety technology and are committed to vulnerable road safety.
“Lafarge Tarmac’s Westbury site has been reinforcing the company’s year round commitment to safety as part of our Health and Safety Month. We are sharing the roads with cyclists, and as a local business we want to make sure that we conduct our business safely, so anything we can do to make children aware of the dangers around vehicles is a good thing.”
