Crucial Crew visits Broxbourne

RSOs from Hertfordshire County Council took their road safety message to the latest ‘Crucial Crew’ gathering in the Borough of Broxbourne.

At the event, which was organised by the local police, school children experienced 10 quick-fire scenarios to relay personal safety messages. Road safety was one message, the others were: fire safety, good citizenship, taking care of the environment, building site safety, first aid, railway safety, water safety, safety in your home and crime prevention.

Important facts about pedestrian crossings were stressed and the DfT ‘Hedgehog’ adverts were instantly recalled when children were asked about how to cross the road safely.

Members of Broxbourne Crucial Crew including Bob Johnson of Hertfordshire’s Road Safety Unit (front row, second left)

The children especially enjoyed taking their turn on the ‘reaction timer’ - a steering wheel with accelerator and brake attachments that records how quickly one can stop. Even those with record reaction times were shocked when they discovered how much longer it took them to stop when they were distracted.

With a permanent Crucial Crew site proposed for Stevenage, it is hoped that these vital life skills will soon spread to children throughout Hertfordshire.