This year, the theme of Road Safety Week is ‘speed.’ Five people die on UK roads every day, which is why we are supporting the campaign to remember those affected by road deaths and injury, and to educate the public on why speeding can have such a detrimental effect on our family, friends and colleagues.

This week, VolkerHighways has visited local schools in Clutton, Somerset and Newbury, West Berkshire.

In Bath and North East Somerset representatives from the contract and the Council visited a primary school in Clutton. During an interactive assembly, the KS1 pupils were shown how to be safe when they are near roads and learnt the Green Cross Code. In West Berkshire, the team visited a local Special Educational Needs school, where the winners of a recent ‘name the gritter’ competition were presented.

During both visits, the students were thrilled to meet Kerby - VolkerHighways’ human-sized road cone mascot and in West Berkshire, pupils got the opportunity to sit in the newly named gritters.

Both visits were hugely successful and rewarding for the teams.

Why do we support Road Safety Week?

As highway workers, Road Safety Week is close to our hearts. We have seen first-hand the life changing consequences that speeding can have not only the individual, but anyone involved. With a culture of ‘urgency’ in the UK, our highway workers are faced with increased risks as we maintain our highways.

As the week draws to a close, we are asking you, when you see warning signs of highway works, to slow down and to adhere to the reduced speed signage. When our workers go to work, they expect to return home safely at the end of each day, without compromise.

Jason Convey, Head of HSEQS for VolkerHighways, said: “Road safety is something we should all be thinking about when we are near roads, whether you are walking along pedestrian walkways or inside a vehicle. Five deaths every day is a figure which is too high and this week raises great awareness of the dangers of our roads, and how everyone can play their part in reducing that figure.”

Cheryl Latreille, Social Value Advisor, who visited the schools, said: “It was a pleasure to have the opportunity to go into local schools and educate the pupils about our roads, which can be a very dangerous place if not used correctly.

“Kerby riding along on his scooter was well received by the pupils who found it highly amusing, while teaching them an important lesson on when is the best time to cross a road. We have established collaborative relationships with both schools we visited and I, and the contracts, are looking forward to continuing to engage with them over the coming months.”