Cemex schools kids on HGV road safety

Building materials supplier Cemex has just completed a series of road safety educational events for primary school children based in Rugby, local to its main UK cement plant.

A specialist team from Cemex Rugby visited three local primary schools with one of the brand’s 44-tonne cement tankers.

The team provided an insight and education on the blind spots and hazards presented by HGVs, and 150 pupils were engaged in the activities.

At each school, the children enjoyed an interactive classroom presentation and colouring activity, before being shown around the vehicle and introduced to various safety features, such as the pedestrian ‘Side Scan’.

To further support their understanding of the risks HGVs present to vulnerable road users such as themselves, a visual demonstration of the blind spot from the driver’s seat took place.

The children were asked to line up facing away from the truck with a teacher sitting in the driver’s seat. They then attempted to count how many children the teacher could see.

Coloured discs were then laid out to visualise this, and the children were encouraged to share photos of the demonstration with their parents.

Finally, the children were given the opportunity to sit in the driver’s seat for a driver’s-eye view, which Cemex said was a popular activity!

All children were all given child-sized high-visibility vests, reflective slap bands, and a fun educational road safety leaflet as mementos of the occasion.

“Cemex was very proud to have this opportunity to provide vital road safety education to children in our local community,” said Darrell Collins, driver trainer and assessor for Cemex UK.

“Working with vulnerable road users such as children to ensure they better understand the risks associated with HGVs is something we are passionate about and an integral part of our health and safety strategy,” he added.

“Incorporating hands-on activities that enable the children to see from the driver’s perspective are hugely valuable and make a real difference to how they act around trucks when they come across them in real life.

“The success of these events has prompted us to continue this awareness-raising with more schools in the area, with further outreach sessions in the pipeline,” Darrell concluded.