Grundon, which helps businesses across the South of England divert waste from landfill for recycling and energy recovery as well as offering aggregate services through their quarries, has taken its commercial vehicle to St Nicholas’s Primary School in Wallingford in support of Road Safety Week, as well as promoting a scheme within the company to get their 800 employees to sign the pledge towards safe driving.
Grundon operates over 250 large commercial vehicles across Southern England and wants to raise wider awareness of the importance of safe driving and pedestrian safety.
Group Logistics Manager, John Stephens, who is leading the initiative, said: “National Road Safety week is asking everyone who can drive to make a Brake pledge, based on the 6 themes dedicated towards a safe driving practice: Slow, Sober, Secure, Silent, Sharpe and Sustainable.”
Grundon will be visiting schools to help primary-aged children in particular understand that large vehicles, however responsibly driven, also need to be respected by pedestrians, cyclists and other road users.
“Every vehicle, however well equipped with safety technology, are hugely heavy pieces of machinery with have blind spots and we want to help young people to appreciate that for their own safety,” said John.
“Our drivers and support team will be inviting pupils into the cab to show them where those blind spots are, and highlight the need for high visibility clothing, especially during the dark winter months. Most schools have black or navy uniform, which isn’t always easy to see so we will be giving out high vis bands for arms and legs to help young people feel safe and stay safe.”
Grundon has achieved company-wide bronze level accreditation in the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS), which drives best practice and safety across Europe’s fleet industry. Its Colnbrook flagship site near Slough has achieved silver accreditation. The FORS scheme is a widely respected European standard that has safety, efficiency and environmental sustainability at its heart.
John added: “Road safety is a two way street. Our drivers are very well trained in order to take responsibility for our big commercial vehicles. In return we want to encourage young people, cyclists and pedestrians, to give large vehicles the respect that lorries, which can weight up to 44 tonnes on British roads, deserve.
“A 44 tonne lorry is the equivalent weight of six full size elephants, a sobering thought when crossing the road in front of one.”
For more information on National Road Safety Week, visit www.roadsafetyweek.org.uk