Working to cut road toll
Toyota New Zealand is continuing its support of Road Safety Education Ltd’s RYDA programme to accelerate progress in reducing road deaths by educating young people about safety.
RYDA provides a “whole of school” approach through one-day workshops led by trained facilitators including the police, driving instructors and community specialists.
It’s all supported by online learning and classroom resources for high-school students across the country.
Susanne Hardy, assistant vice-president, says Toyota NZ aims to help drive safer communities by ensuring young people have the knowledge and skills to make safer choices.
The three-year partnership sees the company provide $225,000 in funding to support programmes and four Corolla Cross hybrids for use by RYDA’s team.
“Young drivers aged between 16 and 24 are at far greater risk of being involved in fatal or serious injury crashes,” says Hardy. “Over the past 10 years, around 7,000 young people aged 16-24 were killed or seriously injured on our roads.
“The social cost of crashes is huge, amounting to $11.6 billion annually. But this pales in comparison to the human cost – lost loved ones, friends, parents and children.”
The RYDA programme makes a tangible impact to communities by contributing to a reduction in deaths and serious injuries on our roads.
Hardy adds: “At Toyota, we recognise support and road safety are critical for building safer communities, and we support RYDA in guiding students to become active, responsible road citizens.
“We are thrilled to announce that 170 schools, 41 per cent of schools in New Zealand, have participated in these workshops over the past year. We expect 15,000 students to go through the programme in the coming 12 months, a 34 per cent increase from last year.”
Through a student inquiry learning approach, RYDA integrates into school culture by providing essential tools, habits and motivation to keep young drivers and passengers safe.
Maria Lovelock, general manager of Road Safety Education Ltd NZ, says it has been wonderful to have extra support over the past year, which has been essential to support the growth of the programme around the country.
“Toyota NZ and Road Safety Education Ltd are contributing to a reduction in deaths and serious injuries on our roads,” she says Lovelock.
“Despite making up less than 12 per cent of licence holders, drivers aged 16-25 were found to be primarily responsible for 33 per cent of crashes resulting in deaths or serious injury.
“However, it doesn’t need to be this way. Many rangitahi are keen to make good decisions and set themselves up for success on the roads.
“We are excited that this year, through Toyota’s support, we have launched a parent programme called Drive Coach.
“This adds a further layer of support for these vulnerable young people, and will help the whole family get on the same page and be safer road users.”
Drive Coach is an extension of RYDA. It’s designed to inform and empower parents and caregivers with young drivers on best practices for coaching motorists.
It aims to provide them with the knowledge and tools to guide their young drivers and ensure their safety on the road.
The first Drive Coach programme will be held in Hamilton on May 28 with the support of Ebbett Toyota. For more details, visit rse.org.nz/our-programs/drivecoach.
