Hundreds of Rangatahi Take Part in Rural Road Safety Roadshow
- Holly Grundy
- 1 day ago
- 1 min read
More than 250 rangatahi from across the Eastern Bay of Plenty took part in this year’s Rangatahi Road Safety Roadshow, aimed at delivering practical road safety education to rural communities.
Held over three days last week, the roadshow visited Murupara Area School, Te Wharekura o Ruatoki, and Rangitāiki High School. The programme was delivered using Whakatāne District Council’s Honoa Hapori community vans.
Council Community Safety Advisor Richard Hamer said the decision to visit more remote locations came in response to community demand.
“We realise we don’t always reach all of our rural students,” said Hamer. “So we decided, together with our community partners, to take the event out to those communities and run roadshows in the schools themselves.”
The roadshow featured eight interactive, themed stations covering key road safety topics such as distractions, impaired driving, seatbelt use, and driver licensing. Activities included a climbing wall to demonstrate the importance of restraints, kart driving with impairment goggles, and a mock roadside checkpoint with Police.
“We had a brilliant time,” Hamer said. “These young driver roadshows are a vital part of the wider Eastern Bay of Plenty Road Safety Programme, which is delivered throughout the community.”
Hamer also extended his thanks to all the participating organisations and the students who took part.
