Forterra truck drivers help spread road safety message

More than 300 school children learn about road safety and the dangers posed by large vehicles

FLEET drivers from Forterra recently assisted emergency services crews at Wicksteed Park, as part of an event to teach local school children about road safety.

The four-day event, which was organized by Northamptonshire Police, Northamptonshire Fire Service and Kettering Borough Council, was attended by more than 300 children, aged between 10 and 11, from several local schools.

Forterra, whose head office is in Northampton, provided two new lorries for the event, to help pupils learn about dangers posed by large vehicles, such as blind spots and stopping distances. The company also provided free gifts for each of the children and hi-vis vests to wear.

The children had the opportunity to talk to police officers and fire fighters and took part in other workshops encouraging them to be good citizens, including workshops on fire safety and first aid.

Schools officer for Northamptonshire Police, PCSO Alex Franklin, said: ‘These schemes are important for teaching children road safety and other crucial life skills. Forterra kindly provided their HGVs for the event, plus drivers to explain to the children how dangerous these vehicles can be.

‘Events such as these can sometimes be affected by emergency service vehicles being called away because of actual emergencies, so it was important that Forterra’s lorries and drivers were for the duration of the event.’

Andy Manning, national transport manager for Forterra, said; ‘As a responsible company with a large fleet of vehicles, we are happy to work with local groups to help make our roads safer. We’re keen to work with schools and other organizations to spread this message and hope to do more events of this nature in future as our fleet expands further.’