Staying Safe on the School Bus

This week, it is possible that you might see police activity around school buses, as traffic officers carry out another campaign to ensure the vehicles and drivers comply with the law, and are keeping children safe on the school bus.

The officers check everything you might expect, from the documentation of the vehicle, the driver´s state and ability, and various safety conditions on the vehicles themselves.

This is a much needed and welcome service that the officers carry out in the interests of safety, but it can also, occasionally, be a concern for those unaware of what is happening.

An important note for parents and guardians is that you should always reassure children that the police, and Guardia Civil are there to help, and are not to be feared.

In order to help satisfy both those points, giving an awareness of what is happening, and reassuring children that the police are their friends, we have decided to give you early access to a project set to launch in September, which is aimed at the younger generation.

Trafford is the N332 Road Safety Raccoon, and with his friends, he will take the little ones on virtual journeys focussed on safety and safe practices on the road. Trafford and Friends will have interactive books for each of their campaigns, as well as songs to sing along to, quizzes and games to play, videos, and more, all aimed at both introducing, and then reenforcing a road safety message.

The N332 team will also be visiting schools at the end of this year to take Trafford and Frends directly to the children, but we will explain more about that after the summer, once the project is officially launched.

However, so long as you remember that this is an “early access” model, you are welcome to go and have a look and meet Trafford and Friends, and download and print some activities, play online, and learn the words to the song, Safe on the School Bus, so we can all help in the learning process, whilst reassuring the children that the police and Guardia Civil are also their friends.

Oh, and if you´re a grown-up, we are not leaving you out, we are also working on educational resources for both adults and teens, so be patient with us, and your turn will come.