Haumarutanga rori - pakeke

Road safety - adults

The Travel Safe team work in the community to reduce accidents and improve road safety.

Young Driver Workshop

Free young driver workshops are aimed at road users aged between 16 and 24, who hold a current learner or restricted driver licence. Participants will leave with improved knowledge, confidence, and skills.

Each workshop includes:

A 60-minute one-on-one driving lesson with a certified instructor
Waka Kotahi NZTA roadworthy vehicle check (what to check to ensure your vehicle is safe and roadworthy)
Driver behaviour awareness (speed, impairment, restraints, distraction, and fatigue
Awareness session on sharing the road with heavy vehicles

Parents/caregivers are strongly encouraged to attend but it’s not compulsory. The four-hour workshops are held during school term holidays, usually between 9am and 1pm.

Drive has everything you need to prepare for your learner, restricted and full licence tests.

Visit the Drive website

Young driver workshop

Car Restraints

Looking for support around car seat restraints? Contact one of our local car seat technicians at travelsafeschools@tauranga.govt.nz. We offer free car seat installations, checks, and will help answer any questions or concerns regarding your car restraint.

Carseat installation

Parking behaviour

Drop off and pick up are busy times that pose a safety risk at the school gate. Travel Safe help schools to communicate things like parking time limits, drop off and pick up zones, parking over the kerb and other safety risks at the school gate. We deliver an in-school parking and safety programme named Peaceful Parker, and partner with council parking officers to do school visits when requested by schools or the community.

Blindzone Workshops

Blindzone workshops allow people to see the world from a truck driver’s point of view. Through a series of practical scenarios, participants will learn where to place themselves so they are visible to truck drivers and will leave with more awareness and confidence on the road.

For more on Blindzone and cycling around heavy vehicles visit Share the Road.

Blindzone workshop

Be Bright, Be Safe, Be Seen

This winter visibility programme reminds cyclists, walkers, runners, and scooter riders to have lights, bright clothing, and reflective gear if they are out and about during early mornings, evenings, and at other times of low light and poor visibility.

Whether commuting to work or school, being active for fun or fitness, or popping down to the local shops, people should take extra care and keep safe by being fully visible on roads and paths.

All cyclists are encouraged to wear high-visibility clothing and ensure their front light, rear light and rear red reflector are all working correctly and are clean.

View the official New Zealand code for cycling for more information.

Orange Walk celebrates student road safety champions

Mount Maunganui will be awash in orange on Thursday, 27 November, as around 1,000 local primary and intermediate students take to the streets for the annual TMNZ (Traffic Management NZ) Orange Walk.

The event celebrates the dedication of Travel Safe and Travel Smart students, bus monitors, and road patrollers who work tirelessly throughout the year to keep their peers safe on the journey to and from school.

Among the participants is Year 6 student Imogen from Suzanne Aubert Catholic School, who proudly serves as a Travel Safe Leader and road patroller. Imogen and her classmates have been hard at work since Term 3, designing a banner for the Orange Walk. Their message – “Don’t text or you’ll be next” – shines a spotlight on the dangers of texting while driving, a risky behaviour Izzy has seen often while on road patrol.

“When we’re on road patrol, everyone is sitting on their phones and not paying attention when the traffic starts moving again,” says Imogen. “Our banner shows the consequences of texting and driving.”

Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale says the Orange Walk is a chance to spotlight the important work students like Izzy are doing in their communities.

“TMNZ Orange Walk is an opportunity for student road safety volunteers from across Tauranga and the Western Bay to get out in public with their colourful banners and show the community what a great job they’re doing,” says Mahé.

“It’s wonderful to see the community, councils, police, and schools all come together to celebrate road safety. The Orange Walk is more than just wearing orange and waving banners – it’s a celebration of student leadership, community spirit, and a shared commitment to safer roads.”

The walk begins at 9.30am from Coronation Park, looping along Maunganui Road and the Pacific Avenue roundabout. The school groups will walk alongside NZ Police and Travel Safe, assisted by Tauranga City Council, Western Bay of Plenty District Council, and supported by proud naming rights sponsor TMNZ. The community is encouraged to come out and cheer on these young road safety champions.

The schools’ banners will be judged for their creativity and impact by representatives from Tauranga City Council, Western Bay of Plenty District Council, New Zealand Police and Aurecon today, with winners announced on the day of the walk.

Travel Safe is a team within Tauranga City Council that delivers road safety education across Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty.

View details about the temporary road closures on the day here.

Image caption

Year 6 Travel Safe Leaders (from left) Imogen, Isabella and Zoey from Suzanne Aubert Catholic School are looking forward to showing off their banner at the upcoming TMNZ Orange Walk.

Posted: Nov 25, 2025,