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.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

Go By Bike Day rolls around

Go by bike

Go By Bike Day is back and we’re encouraging people of all ages to trade their car trips for bike rides and discover the benefits of safe cycling.

Part of Travel Safe’s Time to Cycle calendar of free activities, the annual Go By Bike Day on Wednesday, 6 March, includes six pitstops along popular Tauranga cycling routes offering snacks and giveaways for those out biking.

Tauranga City Council’s Travel Safe Team Leader, Sonia Lynds, says Go By Bike Day is a fun event for everyone including passionate cyclists, people keen to commute by bike for the first time, and those who used to cycle who have fallen out of the habit.

“Go By Bike Day is a perfect opportunity to try riding to work or school. There will be lots of other people on bikes out and about and plenty of encouragement from fellow riders and the Travel Safe team on offer at the pit stops.

“We’ve seen a resurgence in cycling in Tauranga over the last few years. E-bike use has increased, there are more cycle lanes and shared paths around the city, and we will continue to encourage safe cycling and other forms of active travel as alternative ways to move around our city.”

There are so many health, transport, and social benefits that come with biking, but Sonia emphasises safety always comes first.

“Riding to work or school, or just for fun, is a great way to improve your health, physical mobility and mental wellbeing but please do so safely and always wear your helmet," says Sonia.

“Keep aware of your environment by scanning ahead, ride slowly and be ready to react to changes, and let others know you’re approaching on shared paths. Check the weather forecast, plan your route ahead of time, avoid busy congested roads where possible, and be bright, be safe and be seen.”

If you’re not quite ready to ride to work solo or need a helping hand, our Time to Cycle Bike to Work events in March and April may be just what you need. Beginning in Mount Maunganui, Pāpāmoa, or The Lakes, and all finishing at the new Bike Stop bike parking facility in the City Centre, participants will join our experienced cycling instructor who will teach you how to navigate safely and confidently between suburbs.

For more on Go By Bike Day and Time to Cycle please visit https://www.mytauranga.co.nz/time-to-cycle

Go By Bike Day Pitstops. Wednesday, 6 March, 6:45am – 9:00am.