How should you exit a school bus in an emergency, what might happen if you distract a bus driver, and what potential dangers might a parked bus pose?

These and other questions are being put to pupils across Pembrokeshire as part of regular bus safety awareness training.

Each year, the safe school transport team, based within the transport department at Pembrokeshire County Council run the interactive training sessions for secondary pupils in Years 7 and 8.

More than 1,900 children complete the course in the county annually.

“The training session covers several factors like seatbelt safety and emergency evacuation procedures,” said Darren Thomas, head of highways and construction whose responsibilities include the provision of education transport.

School transport training officer Jennifer Barfoot is part of the team that runs the course. She said pupils discuss lots of real-life scenarios and the potential consequence of different behaviours and situations on the school bus.

“We try to make sure that we are giving children practical advice on how to stay safe, as well as making them aware of potential hazards,” she said.

“We talk about what might happen if you stand too close to an approaching bus or stand in the aisle of the bus while it’s travelling, and practise what to do in an emergency situation.”

The training, which is delivered on board a school bus, is part of a regional safety project rolled out across schools in Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Swansea and Neath Port Talbot.

For further details please contact [email protected]