Operators are being encouraged to take part in Road Safety Week (12 – 18 May 2025) and join hundreds of communities, schools and organisations running activities to raise awareness of road safety issues.
Road Safety Week is coordinated by Brake, the road safety charity and sponsored by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi and Beca. The theme of the week is ‘Be a road safety hero’, recognising those who are working to make the roads safer for everyone – from designing safer roads to caring for people after a crash – and highlighting the part everyone can play in making roads safer.
It’s also UN Global Road Safety Week the same week, focused on vulnerable road users including people who walk or cycle on our roads, and Brake will incorporate this into the Road Safety Heroes theme.
Brake is encouraging organisations to go to www.roadsafetyweek.org.nz/organisations for ideas on taking part, and to sign up for a free electronic action pack to help them raise awareness and promote safer road use to staff, contractors, customers and the wider community. This will include downloadable resources and activity ideas, advice, and case studies showing how other organisations have got involved in previous years.
A free webinar for organisations will provide details on taking part in Road Safety Week, ideas for getting involved, and information about how other organisations have previously participated.
Details are:
Road Safety Week for companies and communities
Tuesday 8 April
12pm – 12.30pm NZST
FREE to attend
Register for the webinar – https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/467e8509-05a0-4fb2-b17f-d13b02440e8c@59d5bd0d-4d8f-4344-bac0-4b1d8ed08453
For people who can’t attend the session, a recording will be provided, simply sign up for the session to receive the link.
Road Safety Week has been engaging organisations in road safety for over ten years and is a great opportunity for employers, especially those with staff who drive for work, to develop and promote safe travel internally, raise awareness in their local community and link with other organisations to run road safety campaigns.
“Everyone should be able to get around in safe and healthy ways, every day. There are lots of people who work to make our roads safer, to save lives when crashes happen, and to support those affected by crashes, so this Road Safety Week we want to recognise all these Road Safety Heroes and highlight how everyone can be a hero too,” said Caroline Perry, Brake’s NZ director.
“Employers can really take the lead on safe and healthy journeys and help get these vital messages out to drivers, families, and the wider community, making a big difference to their local area. It’s easy to get involved – just visit the Road Safety Week website and sign up to get a free action pack.”
NZTA strategy director – Safety, Fabian Marsh, said NZTA is proud to sponsor Road Safety Week 2025, as helping save lives and reduce injuries on our roads is a key focus for the organisation.
“Road Safety Week is a great way to help highlight people and organisations already involved in improving road safety, while all the activities during the week help inform and inspire others to play a part.”
Andrea Rickard, managing director – New Zealand, Beca added: “Improving road safety is a vital part of our work at Beca. We are proud to stand alongside Brake, NZ Transport Agency, our partners and all the road safety heroes in communities across Aotearoa, who work every day to make our roads safer.
“It means a lot to our Beca whānau to be part of promoting road safety messages to the communities we live and work in, particularly in our local schools.”
Celebrate your Road Safety Heroes
There are ways you can highlight your own Road Safety Heroes locally during Road Safety Week, and ideas are included in the action pack.
Heroes will also be celebrated nationally throughout the week. Brake is a member of the Yellow Ribbon Road Safety Alliance, a group of organisations working to raise awareness of road safety. The Alliance will be presenting the annual Road Safety Hero Award during Road Safety Week, and Brake will also be highlighting the important work of a range of people working to make our roads safer.
If you have a Hero you would like to nominate for the award, to be highlighted on social media, or both, you can find more details here: www.yellowribbon.nz/road-safety-hero/
Go Yellow in Road Safety Week
Another way the alliance raises awareness of road safety is through use of the colour yellow, including wearing yellow ribbon pins and lighting up bridges, buildings, and icons yellow during Road Safety Week. Other organisations can support this by lighting local buildings or icons, wearing yellow, or wearing a yellow ribbon pin. If you have a local icon that could be lit yellow, please get in contact with Brake or the Alliance. More information is available on the Road Safety Week website.
Fundraise
As a charity, Brake is reliant on fundraising to help us to continue providing free support resources to people affected by road crashes. Many organisations choose to support Brake with a fundraiser such as a Go Yellow Day during Road Safety Week. Fundraising ideas can be found here: www.roadsafetyweek.org.nz/fundraise.
Global Fleet Champions
Organisations with staff who drive for work are also urged to make use of guidance from the Global Fleet Champions campaign to help develop year-round fleet safety practices. Becoming a member is FREE and gives you access to a range of fleet safety resources, events and news. Visit www.globalfleetchampions.org to sign up.
