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.

A safer way around Tauriko as new roundabout is completed

A previously high-risk intersection in Tauriko has been transformed into a safer and more efficient connection for the community and commuters.

The intersection of State Highway 29 (SH29) and Redwood Lane now features a 47-metre diameter roundabout, a direct connection to the Tauriko Business Estate, and a shared walking and cycling underpass beneath SH29.

The roundabout was built as part of the Tauriko Enabling Works project, a project delivered by Tauranga City Council and NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Waka Kotahi to deliver key improvements to SH29 in Tauriko and to enable the start of housing development at Tauriko West.

It first opened to traffic in a temporary layout in May 2025. A connection to the Tauriko Business Estate through Kaweroa Drive followed in November 2025, with the new roundabout now fully completed and finishing works finalised.

NZTA Waikato and Bay of Plenty Infrastructure Delivery Manager, Adrian Jones, says reaching this milestone is a proud moment for the team.

“As the first site to get underway in the Tauriko Enabling Works project back in 2024, it’s great to be at this stage, having delivered a key upgrade for traffic flow and safety.”

The project took around 22 months and 20,000 square metres of structural asphalt.

“The team has poured in a lot of effort - and a lot of asphalt,” Mr Jones says. “It’s now much safer and easier to move through the area, with a new connection to Kaweroa Drive and the pedestrian and cyclist underpass beneath SH29.

“We’ve also completed significant stormwater, wastewater and watermain upgrades, including a constructed wetland to manage water run-off while providing habitat for native wildlife.

“Ducting for power, fibre and communications has been laid to futureproof the area and more than 130,000 new trees and shrubs have been planted.”

Tauriko Ward Councillor Marten Rozeboom has commended the project team.

“Work at the Redwood Lane site has been delivered safely, on time and on budget, and to a very high standard,” Councillor Rozeboom says.

“We’re already seeing the benefits of the new Kaweroa Drive link, which is making everyday travel smoother for people who work and live in the area. As Tauriko grows, this connection will become even more valuable.

“Projects like this show we’re planning ahead and building the right infrastructure for a thriving Tauriko.”
NZTA thanks nearby residents and road users for their patience throughout construction.

A reduced speed limit of 70km/h remains in place between Belk Road and Gargan Road until the SH29/Belk Road intersection closes. This closure will be undertaken by Tauranga City Council once the new roundabout connecting Belk Road to the southern end of Taurikura Drive is completed, currently on track for late 2026.

Meanwhile, work continues in the Tauriko Village section of the project, with significant progress made on the SH29/Cambridge Road intersection upgrade. Full completion of the Tauriko Enabling Works project is expected in 2027.