

The Metropolitan Police have begun taking their informative HGV education and awareness programme into schools to teach seven to 11 year olds about the dangers posed by heavy goods vehicles.
“We’re teaching them about keeping their distance, about eye contact with the drivers and really educating them and changing their behaviour. If you can see the driver, then he can see you, and that’s really what we are pushing,” explains Met Police Commercial Vehicle Unit inspector Rik Wenham at Road Transport Expo.
More than 2000 children in south London have already been reached through the new initiative which stared earlier this year. A larger awareness campaign is planned for the next academic year.
“We’ve got a zebra crossing mat that we’re putting out in front of the cab, and seeing how many kids we can get in front of the truck when the Class 6 mirror is covered before they can be seen. We’re really educating them and changing their behaviour, and who knows if they give them [the driver] a little fist-bump they might get a bit of air horn,” Wenham added.