A Day in the Life of a Road Safety Officer
Ceredigion Road Safety Officer, Kayleigh Tonkins, recently gave an interview about her role as a Road Safety Officer to Ceredigion Council's web team.
"Where do I begin with what’s involved within my role as Road Safety Officer? Road Safety affects everyone; there are so many aspects to road safety that no day is the same for us and we cater for all ages. I visit schools on a regular basis, either to pop in to deliver an assembly or spend half a day with groups of children discussing road safety matters which impact on their lives. I also enjoy encouraging active travel, and will happily help to organise a walking bus with a school, to try to encourage pupils to walk, scoot or cycle to their school at least once a week. School Crossing Patrol Officers (SCPs) make up the backbone of our Road Safety Team. They are out every day braving the elements ensuring that all pupils that do walk to school are crossed safely to their destination.
Both my colleague, Heulwen, and I are qualified child car seat advisors, and we regularly attend family centres and play groups to discuss issues parents may be having, and offer checks if the child car seat is fitted correctly. We offer this service from our office in Penmorfa, Aberaeron, so if you want to check your child car seat, simply give us a call to arrange a day and time!
We receive funding from the Welsh Government for certain schemes which are available across the county. These are very important schemes and help us in getting the message to the residents of Ceredigion. These schemes include:
- Kerbcraft
- National Standards cycle training
- Mega Drive
- Pass Plus Cymru
- Ceredigion Enhanced Rider Scheme
- Biker Down! Cymru
A new and exciting course, the Mature Driver Course, is to be piloted in Ceredigion this summer which is aimed at mature drivers aged over 65. The one-day course consists of a discussion session in the morning, explaining the changes seen in the Highway Code, and discussing difficulties older drivers may face. The afternoon involves a free drive with an instructor, who will give the driver helpful advice with the aim of keeping people driving better, for longer."
To read more about Kayleigh’s varied job and the schemes that are delivered in Ceredigion go to the Ceredigion Council website