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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

Councils to consider Head Start proposal for future governance in Western Bay of Plenty sub-region

Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty District Council will hold a joint meeting on 6 August to to consider the Head Start proposal for future governance in the WBOP sub-region.

This proposal is part of a coordinated response from local councils across the wider Bay of Plenty to the Government's Simplifying Local Government reform programme, which signals a move towards fewer, larger councils and changes to how regional and local council responsibilities are delivered in the future.  Councils that wish to put forward their own proposal for how local government could be reorganised have until 9 August 2026 to do so.

Recent community feedback across both councils showed residents were open to exploring reform, but clear expectations emerged around what any future arrangement would need to achieve. These included maintaining strong local voice and representation, addressing concerns around taking on the debt of other councils, affordability and fairness between communities, while also delivering simpler decision-making, stronger infrastructure planning, efficient service delivery and better value for ratepayers. What came through strongly was a preference for this to be led locally, rather than waiting for Government to do it to us.  

A draft Head Start outline proposal for a sub-regional unitary authority has since been jointly developed between Western Bay of Plenty District Council and Tauranga City Council. The proposal would create a new council covering the combined Tauranga City and Western Bay of Plenty areas and bring together many of the functions currently delivered by the two councils and Bay of Plenty Regional Council within this area.

If both councils approve the proposal, it must be lodged with central government by 9 August 2026 for consideration. If a proposal is not submitted by that date, the process will move to the 'Backstop' pathway, under which central government will determine the future governance arrangements for the region at a later date.

The joint Council meeting will be held at Western Bay of Plenty District Council Chambers from 9.30am, Thursday 6 August.

A link to the council agenda paper can be found here - Supplementary Reports Agenda of Council - Thursday, 6 August 2026

The joint meeting will be livestreamed on Western Bay of Plenty District Council’s YouTube channel

Posted: Aug 5, 2026,

Related information

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

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