Hatfield school learns about road safety

STUDENTS at a Hatfield school were taught an important lesson in road safety – and now they’re hoping to teach motorists a thing or two as well.

Howe Dell School held a day-long Safer Routes To School Day, where children learnt about the dangers of speeding vehicles when crossing the road to their Runway school.

In partnership with DHL’s Truck and Child Safety Scheme, Hertfordshire Constabulary and the Institute of Advanced Motoring, students were given interactive lessons in what to look out for when approaching traffic.

Hatfield Pcsos Gary Bailey, Christie Hurley and Sam Griffin ran a speed check session, recording cars travelling above the 30mph speed limit outside the school.

DHL lined up nursery and year two students in front of a 40ft truck – to show how many youngsters could go undetected by a lorry driver.

Elsewhere, the Institute of Advanced Motoring advertised a free skills assessment to drivers, while students designed posters to be put on display at the school gates to encourage drivers to slow down outside the school gates.

Howe Dell’s partnerships and communities manager Nina Williams said: “This was a great opportunity to focus a whole day on road safety and encourage more people to walk or cycle to school safely.”

School governor Lynne Sparks added: “It was a great day, really enjoyable and informative for the children and parents.

“The police and DHL sessions were all fantastic – the children all seemed to be interested and took on board the messages we were trying to get across.”