‘If you can’t see the driver, the driver can’t see you’ – that was the message presented at Buxton Community School this week during an event to educate 150 Year 7 students about safety around lorries.
Local company Tarmac took one of its large lorries into the school to reinforce road safety and help the students gain an understanding of the drivers’ view.
Students were given a presentation by logistics manager Richard Buggins which included a powerful film to show how limited the driver’s view is for cyclists and pedestrians around a lorry. After this, lorry drivers Brad Burton and Steven Woods invited the students to stand on a specially designed mat which clearly shows the large blind spot areas. Some students were able to climb into the cab of the 44-tonne lorry to view the blind spots for themselves and think about safety from a driver’s perspective.
Commenting on the success of the event, Buxton Community School Assistant Headteacher Gillian Ashworth said: “The safety of our students is of paramount importance to us, and this practical session was extremely useful in highlighting to our younger students the importance of being aware of their surroundings when walking to and from school. We are very grateful to Tarmac for working with us to keep our students safe.“
Sarah Barnwell, the school’s Information Advice and Guidance (IAG) co-ordinator, who spent much of the day with the staff, was full of praise for the company: “Our Year 7 students were very surprised when they discovered that they couldn’t always be seen by the driver. The opportunity to sit in the cab and experience it from the driver’s perspective had a big impact.”
Comments from the students who took part include:
• Chloe: “ When I sat in the cab, I was surprised how high up the driver was. I learned that I have to be aware of what’s around me and not walk around with my head down looking at my phone.”
• Will: “ I didn’t realise how big the blind spot was. It was also interesting to sit in the cab and see all the screens as well as the mirrors.”
Tarmac’s Richard Buggins added: “Almost 50 children are seriously injured every year by coming into contact with lorries – almost one every week. Most of these are playing on bikes or near roads. We wanted to take road safety messages into the school in an interactive and memorable way. We were pleased to be able to run our educational event with so many Buxton students. They were surprised by how large the drivers’ blind spot area is and had an opportunity to refresh their knowledge of road safety especially when using mobile phones or headphones.”
Driver Brad Burton added: “I was really pleased to be involved in this event – getting to talk to young people about road safety and letting them have a ‘driver’s eye view’ was a really effective way of helping them be more aware of lorries when they are walking or cycling.“
Picture caption: Tarmac’s logistics manager Richard Buggins (right) shows the Buxton Community School students the ‘blind spots’ around a lorry, supported by drivers Brad Burton and Steven Woods (Back row)