Services > SADD & Young Drivers

Young Drivers

Young Driver related crashes are an area of high concern & identified as a continuing road safety issue across the cluster.

Wairarapa Wide: 16 to 24 year olds most represented age group in injury crashes on local roads, state highways & mostly at fault at the time of the crash.

Drive.govt.nz gives free, practical info to make it easier to pass your restricted test.
It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3: DRIVE

We are very excited to announce that SADD is being supported in 100% of Wairarapa Colleges. We meet every month as a council to discuss areas of concern and how we can promote safe driving practises (including not driving whilst intoxicated or getting in a car with someone else that has been drinking) not only to our peers but stretch our message out into our community.

For more information on Events and what our local SADD students are up to click here.
View the Wairarapa SADD Group Facebook page

Visit the National SADD Page to see what is happening around the country!

www.sadd.org.nz

Community Driver Mentor Programme

COMMUNITY DRIVER MENTOR PROGRAMME (CDMP)

Checkpoint with John Campbell - RNZ Monday 31st August 2017 Interview

As a result of the Mayoral Task Force for Jobs initiative and the Social Sector trial a steering group was set up by Masterton Mayor Lyn Paterson, to explore how we best support some local secondary students to gain their restricted licences prior to exiting school.

We know that young people who hold a drivers licence are better placed to gain local employment and thus contribute meaningfully to the region economically, and socially.

We also know that most of our ‘at risk’ youth have no access to best practice driver training, finances or a driving mentor. Unless this is addressed they would rely on unsafe and illegal cars, indulge in unsafe driving and enter the justice merry-go-round, because of tickets and court appearances.

21 students have successfully passed through the CDMP programme attaining their Restricted Licences. Of these 17 passed on their first attempt and those 4 passed on their 2^nd attempt. We also have 3 more booked to sit their restricted before Christmas and several who are keen to take the opportunity in 2018.

This is an amazing achievement for these students from Makoura, Kuranui, Chanel and Wairarapa Colleges, but it could not have been achieved without the dedication and commitment of their teachers, mentors, driving instructors, and our sponsors. Our mentors deserve special thanks, these are the folks who are voluntarily giving up their time week after week because they are committed to our goal of helping these students to make the very best of this opportunity. We are already aware of students gaining employment on the strength of being able to legally drive!

Special thanks also to Brendan at Southey Honda, Kevan Dudson at Caltex, and Matt Bain at Sign factory, Anita at REAP Reception, Waggs Holden, our funding providers Masterton, Carterton and South Wairarapa District Councils, Masterton Lands Trust, Greater Wellington Regional Council, Wairarapa Road Safety Council, NZTA and others who have preferred to remain nameless – we are fortunate to live in a community where the business, private and public sectors have all caught our vision and stepped in to help to achieve our goal of safer young drivers on our roads.

'Together making a difference for young driver safety across Wairarapa’

RYDA Programme

The Rotary Youth Driver Awareness Programme is in partnership with Rotary, Road Safety Education, Safer Journeys, Wairarapa Road Safety Council.

This year we almost doubled our number is our fourth year providing a successful program focusing on Year 12 Students across Wairarapa during March. With nearly 600 Students in attendance over the 2-day event held at the Solway Showgrounds in Masterton, students we able to take part in 6 workshops;

Putting the 'I' in Drive
Hazards, Distractions & Risks
Speed & Stopping Distances
Road Choices
Genevieves Story
Crash Survivor

Each facilitator was experienced in their field providing safer road choices and inspiration to students wanting to take the next step in their journey of their future driving careers. This program is set to run again in 2017.

Congratulations to Conor Mackay -Freeman who won 6 FREE driving lessons with Jackie Hill from Masterton Driver Training after filling out the RYDA Feedback form (picture above)

For more information please click the RYDA link

We wish to thank all of the Rotarians, Teachers, Students, Facilitators and supporting organisations that played their part in making this event a success.

RYDA is an Australia and New Zealand Program delivered by Road Safety Education Ltd.

Photo Credit: Piers Fuller

SADD - Students Against Dangerous Driving

NZTA Teachers Workshop year 7-13 Educators

Wairarapa Professional Development Workshop – March 3^rd2016

Year 7-13 Educators – Citizenship through inquiry and action

After attending the first NZTA professional development workshop in Trentham in early 2015, I was not a teacher, but I was convinced of the importance to highlighting road safety education within our school networks in Wairarapa.

Now to present day, March 3^rd 2016, a similar workshop was held in Wairarapa at the Copthorne, Solway Park with 50 educational brains under one roof. This time, we were able to witness a shift in thinking towards road safety as a culture and the impact that our roading network has on our choices in day-to-day living.

“We’ve been talking [since the workshop] with our senior students about the speed at which the traffic goes past our school gate and the dangers around this. The students are already excited by possible ideas they are sharing…”

“…There are some great ideas [and lesson plans] on teaching road safety that tie in with all curriculum areas. As Pam Hook said 'we are all road users in one-way or another’…”

~ Peter Hull (Acting Principal, South Featherston School)

“One of my favourite speakers was Rachel Bolstad, her presentation on Key Competencies stood out for me as it reminded me of the importance of lifelong learning”.

~ Polu Luatua (Senior teacher, Lakeview School)

“There may be some barriers mostly around the fact that we are a country school. I did however get some contacts from the workshop that can help me with implementing ideas specific to our school”.

~ Peter Hull (Acting Principal, South Featherston School

“This professional development was very useful. I enjoyed the sessions on solo taxonomy and the notion of the roads a common ground needing shared responsibility. We will be looking at some of the material provided through links to share with our students.”

~ Prue Smith (Manager, Wairarapa Teen Parenting Unit)

Having a vast collection of teachers that educate students in rural, urban and mixed zone environments tested each subject’s adaptability. In all cases, the overall day didn’t just teach us how to implement road safety education into school curriculum and create lifelong learning examples to embed in students, but it helped us learn about our own citizenship through inquiry and action.

Written by Holly McGeorge