Road Safety

National Cycling Standards

The Road Safety Team offers the National Standards Cycle Training Programme to all primary schools throughout Pembrokeshire.

All pupils aged 10 and 11 years old can get involved. It is an important part of the curriculum; the main purpose is to heighten a child's awareness of the dangers on the roads. It is offered free of charge to all schools and the course duration consists of approximately six hours, and delivered by one of three experienced instructors. 

The training includes how to control your bike, being able to look and assess traffic, how to communicate and where to position yourself on the road. Developing their knowledge of hazard awareness and knowledge of the Highway Code.

Instructors also advise on safety equipment and how to check and do simple maintenance on your bike.

There are three levels children at Primary are taught Level 1 and 2. Pupils in secondary school/ college or adults can email the Road Safety Team to do Level 3.

e-mail: road.safety@pembrokeshire.gov.uk

 

Pass Plus Cymru

Pass Plus Cymru is a Welsh Government funded scheme, which is aimed at young drivers aged between 17 and 25 who have recently passed their test. The scheme aims to help young drivers improve driving skills, gain extra experience, and possibly obtain a discount on their car insurance.

The scheme requires young drivers to attend a three hour interactive tutorial followed by up to nine hours of `on-the-road’ driving (split between two attendees) with a Pass Plus Cymru registered Approved Driving Instructor.

The Pass Plus Cymru scheme comprises six specially designed modules which cover:

• Driving around town
• Out of town
• In all weathers
• At night
• On dual carriageways
• On Motorways

Also covered are defensive driving, hazard awareness, concentration, speed, drugs and drink driving, safe attitudes and behaviour.

Because the participants will be trained by a professional driving instructor, they’ll gain valuable extra experience and positive motoring skills that would otherwise take a long time to acquire.

Upon completion of the course each candidate will be issued with a Pass Plus Certificate. You’ll be able to use this certificate to claim your motor insurance discount. 

How much does the course cost?

The cost of the course, which has been accredited by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), is £20, a significant discount from the normal cost of around £160. The balance is made up by us with grant funding from Welsh Government.

How will the course be delivered?

Courses will be delivered online via Microsoft Teams. Further information on how to access the course and the link to join will be emailed to you within the week of your scheduled course. If you have any questions in the meantime, please email road.safety@pembrokeshire.gov.uk

Following the online course, you will be contacted by an instructor to arrange a suitable date and time to complete the practical element of the course.

Book your place on the course (opens in a new tab)

 

Cycling Levels 1,2 & 3

Level 1 is an assessment of your child’s basic cycling skills and is delivered on the playground (trainees will not be taught). Trainees will only graduate on to Level 2 if they able to:

Level 1 techniques and skills

• Getting on and off
• Starting off and stopping
• Staying upright without wobbling
• Pedalling
• Steering and maintaining forward progress
• Cycling one handed/signalling
• Looking behind
• Use of gears

By completing Level 1, you have shown you have the skills to ride where there are no cars and that you are ready to start your on road training.

 

Level 2 is where you start with real traffic, but sticking to quiet roads.

By completing Level 2 you can show you have the skills to make a trip safely on to quiet roads and cycle lanes, perhaps to school.

Level 2 techniques and skills

• Theory of on road cycling
• Getting on and off the bicycle and starting off
• Stopping
• Use of gears
• Cycling one handed/signalling
• Looking behind
• Turning right, left and overtaking parked vehicles on a variety of quiet roads
• Using cycling facilities

 

Level 3 is where you can move up to busy roads and advanced road features.

It's like driving or motorbike lessons and once you have done it you should be able to bike most places safely, certainly after some practice. Normally you will do this once you have started secondary school.

Level 3 techniques and skills

• On road theory as level 2 with additional theory as required to support the more advanced road work being undertaken
• The cycle as a vehicle
• Positioning and observation
• Level 1 & 2 skills
• Busier roads
• Complex turns, roads and junctions
• Roundabouts
• Signal controlled junctions
• Filtering
• Using cycling facilities
• Different types of cycle and their purpose
• Keeping a bicycle roadworthy
• Clothing for cycling
• Relevant accessories

Sustrans (opens in a new tab) 

Cycling UK (opens in a new tab)

 

Mature Driver

The Road Safety Unit are pleased to be bringing you the 'Mature Driver Course' for people aged 65+. We want to keep you mobile and independent, and keep you confident behind the wheel.

Why not take advantage of this informal and relaxed day-long session, benefiting from the expertise of an experienced driver trainer and a fully qualified approved driving instructor?

You do not need to bring your car to benefit from this session – we provide the wheels.

Previous participants have valued the opportunity to attend the theory and practical sessions… but don't just take our word for it, here’s what some had to say:

'I have re-learnt a lot of what I should have known but over the years have forgotten'

'This really helped my confidence; everyone should do this course - thank you all'

'I can now do Morrison’s roundabout with confidence'

What is the course all about?

• Helping to keep you driving safer for longer
• The ageing process and driving safely 
• Addressing your personal concerns about your driving now and for the future
• Identifying bad driving habits. You might have picked some up over the years!
• Updates to the Highway Code

This course is not:

• A test of your driving skills
• A formal assessment of your driving

How much does the course cost?

Thanks to Road Safety grant funding from Welsh Government the course is free of charge to residents of Pembrokeshire.

Courses will be delivered at Haverfordwest Fire Station during the morning and will be followed by practical drives in the afternoon. The full course itinerary will be emailed to you 1 – 2 weeks ahead of your scheduled course.

When are the courses running?

We have Mature Driver Courses running on the following dates:

• Wednesday 20^th September 2023
• Wednesday 18^th October 2023
• Wednesday 15^th November 2023
• Wednesday 24^th January 2024
• Wednesday 21^st February 2024
• Wednesday 20^th March 2024

The courses begin at 10.00am and end by 4.00pm.

If you have any questions, or wish to book a place, please contact us via –

e-mail: road.safety@pembrokeshireshire.gov.uk

Telephone: 01437 775144 / 07767 173186

Express your interest in attending the scheme

 

Kerbcraft

Kerbcraft is a national scheme, funded by Welsh Government. It aims to teach Year One and/or Year Two pupil’s vital pedestrian skills, to aid the reduction of Child Pedestrian accidents. Training is carried out at the roadside by a member of the Road Safety Team.

Currently there are 43 primary schools throughout Pembrokeshire involved in the scheme. The project, which has been heralded by one Head Teacher as 'a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness on road safety in Pembrokeshire', continues to receive enthusiastic support from parents, staff and members of the communities in which the training sessions take place. 

Kerbcraft was developed by a team of Psychologists at Strathclyde University who designed the programme to teach 5-7 year olds three vital skills: Choosing safe places and routes; Crossing safely at parked cars and crossing safely at junctions.  Parents, however, are reminded that an adult should always accompany children of this age when walking near or crossing roads. 

1. Choosing safe places and routes to cross the road - Children are helped to recognize the dangers and hazards and identify alternative crossing places. 
2. Crossing safely at parked cars - Children are taught how to use a safe strategy for crossing near parked cars when avoiding them is impossible. 
3. Crossing safely at Junctions - Children are introduced to the problems of simple and complex junctions, and are taught a strategy for looking in all directions. 

Each skill is practiced at several different locations, over a 9 week period. Road safety trainers work with very small groups of children and help them to develop their observational skills and decision-making processes by training at the roadside. The children wear high visibility tabards and hold hands with the trainers throughout.

If you are a parent, teacher or school governor and want to find out more about starting Kerbcraft in your school, please contact the Road Safety Team road.safety@pembrokeshire.gov.uk

If you are home educating and would like to introduce Kerbcraft at home, we have put together a 'Kerbcraft at Home' pack, which will provide you with information on how to deliver Kerbcraft training for your children.

Highway Code - Rules for Pedestrians (opens in a new tab) 

 

Dragon Rider

Dragon Rider Cymru is a motorcycle training course supported by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Enhanced Rider Scheme and Thunder Road Motorcycles of South Wales.

The Road Safety Teams from the Counties of Carmarthenshire, Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Pembrokeshire, have worked in partnership to develop this course of advanced rider skills that is delivered by experienced and qualified motorcycle instructors who are accredited by the DVSA Register of Post Test Motorcycle Instructors. Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue service are also supporting the initiative.

The courses are held on a Monday evening and delivered via Microsoft Teams. The practical element will be arranged once you have attended the evening session and will be road based, using a variety of roads throughout the County and neighbouring counties to meet the motorcycle training needs of the individual rider, based on the advanced Police rider manual, Roadcraft.

Riders who have completed the Bikesafe course are encouraged to bring copies of their assessment forms for the practical session. The training ratio will be one instructor to a maximum of two riders for the on road element. Training will be tailored to meet the individual needs of the rider.

At the conclusion of both sessions participants will be issued with a certificate of competence that is recognised by a wide variety of insurance companies and may attract a premium discount.

How much does the course cost?

Thanks to Road Safety Grant funding from Welsh Government the course is free of charge to residents of Pembrokeshire.

Course availability

Express your interest in attending the scheme

Further information on how to access the course and the link to join will be emailed to you within the week of your scheduled course. If you have any questions in the meantime, please email road.safety@pembrokeshire.gov.uk

Following the online course, you will be contacted by an instructor to arrange a suitable date and time to complete the practical element of the course.

Child Car Seat Safety

It is vital that parents ensure that children are securely fitted into child seats or seat belts on every journey.

It is the responsibility of the driver to ensure that children are safely belted in when travelling by car and that a child under twelve years of age or under 135cm in height is using the correct child restraint.

More information can be found at:

Child car seats: the law (opens in a new tab) 

ROSPA - Child Car Seats (opens in a new tab) 

For a guide to find out if you have the right car seat please visit Good Egg Safety (opens in a new tab) 

Please call us on 01437 775144 or email road.safety@pembrokeshire.gov.uk for further advice or information about this.

i-Size (opens in a new tab)  is the new set of regulations for child car seats and came into enforce in summer 2013. Parents should familiarise themselves with the requirements to keep their children safe.

i-Size makes travelling in a car with your child safer because:

• your child should be kept rear facing until they are 15 months old
• the age, weight and height of your child is used
• Isofix seats should be used which are easier to fit
• your child is protected from side impact
• greater protection is given to your child’s head, neck and vital organs

Video highlighting the Rear facing car seats vs Forward facing car seats (opens in a new tab). For your child's safety keep them rearward facing as long as possible. 

Booster Seat Rules

The changes in the safety standard will mean that all newly produced booster cushions will be illegal to use for children under 22kg and shorter than 125cm.

However, if your child is over 22kg and 125cm they will be able to use them.

What if you already have a booster cushion?

If you already own a booster cushion which states it conforms to ECE R44/04 Group 2 – 15kg minimum weight, then it will still be legal for you to use with a child who is 15kg or heavier.

A booster cushion offers no head, side or upper body protection; it is not the safest option for such a young body.

And when there is a safer option of a high backed booster seat which does have these safety features it would make sense to encourage parents to use these.

 

Biker Down

As bikers tend to ride in groups or pairs, it is usually the case that when one is involved in an accident the first person on the scene will be a fellow biker. Biker Down! aims to reduce the number of motorcyclists killed and seriously injured in road accidents and is delivered by Operational Firefighters / the Fire Bike Team from Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service.

The course comprises of three modules:

• Managing an Accident Scene
• First Aid
• The Science of Being Seen

The course will give participants a better understanding of what to do if they come across a road traffic collision and how to manage it safely.

How much does the course cost?

Thanks to Road Safety Grant funding from Welsh Government the course is Free of charge. On completion of the course the participants will get a free first aid kit.

Active Travel

The Active Travel Act came into force in 2013 by the Welsh Government. The definition of an active travel journey includes travel to work, travel to school and other educational facilities, travel to the shops, travel to leisure facilities and travel to public transport.

The benefits of Active Travel are –

• Health & Wellbeing- physical activity for just 30 minutes a day has huge physical, mental and social health benefits on individuals.
• Environment & Community- by using Active Travel approaches we are reducing the environmental impacts of congestion, reducing CO2 emissions and improving air quality within our environment.
• Economy - people travelling into the city using active travel are likely spend more time and money than those who drive which in turn benefits the local economy.

The Active Travel Co-ordinator within the Road Safety team is currently working with schools to set-up various Active Travel initiatives which include park and stride, walking bus, active travel tracker and walk to school with Ziggy Zebra. We also offer scooter courses, holiday cycling clubs and family cycle clubs to encourage people to have a more active lifestyle.

If you are a parent, teacher, school governor, business or a home educated family and want to find out more about Active Travel initiatives in your school or place of work then please contact the Road Safety Team road.safety@pembrokeshire.gov.uk