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Haumarutanga rori - pakeke

Road safety - adults

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

Be Bright, Be Safe, Be Seen

Pick up a free reflective backpack cover this June

To help you stay visible on the roads this winter, free reflective backpack covers are now available from Tauranga City Council libraries – while stocks last. 

These covers are a simple way to increase visibility on darker winter mornings and afternoons, especially for children travelling to and from school. 

As the days get shorter and darker, it’s more important than ever to stay visible on our roads. Whether you’re walking, biking or scootering, being seen can make all the difference in keeping you safe. 

Simple steps can help reduce the risk of crashes and ensure drivers can see you sooner. 

How to stay visible: 

  • Wear bright or reflective clothing 
  • Use lights on bikes and scooters 
  • Stay alert and aware around traffic 

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

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.nzWe 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
 

Related news

Bright and bold for road safety

Orange day

Beaming with smiles and dressed in bright orange costumes, more than 800 students from 28 schools have hit the streets of Mount Maunganui sharing important messages about road safety and active travel.
 
Anna Somerville: Tauranga City Council Transport Network Safety & Sustainability Manager says the annual Road Safe Orange Walk is all about celebrating primary and intermediate Travel Safe and Travel Smart students, bus monitors, and road patrols for their important roles in their school communities.
 
“It’s an opportunity for all the student volunteers who’ve worked so hard all year promoting road safety and helping to get their peers to and from school safely to get out here with their colourful banners and show the community what a great job they’re doing.

“It’s great to see the community, the councils, the police, and the schools all here together celebrating road safety. We’d like to acknowledge the continued work of the police school community officers and our Travel Safe team who train and encourage our young people throughout the year.”

The students headed off from Coronation Park at 9:30am with enthusiastic support from gathered family, shoppers, and staff from local businesses as they cheered, and waved their banners walking along Maunganui Road around the Pacific Avenue roundabout and back.

After the walk trophies were awarded by police to schools with the best banners.

Mayor James Denyer: Western Bay of Plenty District Council says the students have all been very creative and put in a lot of effort.

“It would be a very tough job to judge the banners.”

In the Primary School age division, Te Kura o Maungatapu won the top prize for best road safety banner, while Golden Sands School claimed the award for best active travel banner.

In the Intermediate age division, Mount Maunganui Intermediate won top prize for best road safety message for their banner If the red man starts flashing, don’t start dashing.

Harry Lorensston: Mount Maunganui Intermediate explains the banner addresses a common challenge at his school.

“We have traffic lights and kids are always dashing when it’s the last two or three seconds left and it’s really unsafe.”

After the walk the celebration continued at Baywave, where the students gathered for a well-deserved swim and a celebratory BBQ cooked by the police.

Posted: Dec 1, 2023,

Related information

Staying safe on scooters. Information about staying safe on your scooter.

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