Kia ora koutou!

Just like that, we’re already in the middle of Term 3! How time flies when you’re having fun.

The SADD team have had a fantastic term, catching up with heaps of awesome groups across the motu, helping them develop their plans, supporting their activities and working alongside them to raise awareness of youth road safety.

Even with everything going on, we’ve seen some epic contributions from SADD groups around Aotearoa — from road safety debates and massive expos, to full weeks of activities, collaborations with our incredible community partners and even new SADD groups getting started!

Our Show Up campaign has also been in full swing, encouraging young people to have conversations with their friends about looking out for each other and making safer choices on the road. Head over to our social media channels, especially Instagram, to get involved in our interactive polls and have your say on what showing up for road safety means to you!

We’ve got another great edition of the SADD newsletter for you, so read on to check out all the good stuff happening  including how to Show Up, having conversations about peer pressure, and an epic new resource called “Travelling with Tiaki”.

We’re also super stoked to introduce our brand-new Year 12 National Leaders, who will soon be meeting in person for the first time at their National Leadership Hui in Ōtautahi Christchurch. It was a tough selection process this year, with a huge pool of high-calibre applicants, so we’re incredibly proud of our successful candidates! Get to know them a little better by checking out their bios below.

As we inch closer to spring, the days are getting a little longer and there’s less chill in the air - something we’re definitely excited about! But remember, changing seasons can bring changing road conditions, so take your time, make a plan before you head off, and enjoy the ride.

Noho ora mai

Mark McCallum-Unwin - Delivery & Engagement Team Leader

Who's in the Driver's Seat?

Learning to drive is exciting, but it can also come with pressure from the people around you. Whether it's friends encouraging you to speed up, take a risk, or squeeze one more person into the car, those moments can influence decisions with serious consequences.

The reality is that most young people want to get home safely. But in the moment, it can be hard to speak up or say no, especially if you're worried about looking uncool or letting your mates down.

Remember that being a good friend isn't about going along with unsafe behaviour. It's about looking out for each other. Speaking up when something doesn't feel right, reminding everyone to buckle up, or suggesting a safer option takes confidence, but it could make all the difference.

If you're the driver, you're responsible for every person in your vehicle. You have the right to set the rules, whether that's no distractions, everyone wearing a seatbelt, or refusing to drive if someone is behaving unsafely. A real friend will respect those decisions.

If you're a passenger, don't underestimate your influence. Encouraging safe choices, offering to navigate, keeping distractions to a minimum, or simply backing up the driver's decisions can help create a safer journey for everyone.

Road safety isn't just about knowing the rules. It's about having the confidence to make good decisions, even when others are watching. Sometimes the strongest thing you can say is, "No, we're not doing that."

Delivery Spotlight!

There have been some epic activities happening up and down the motu recently, with SADD groups working hard to spread the word about staying safe on our roads!

One particularly awesome effort was the Rangitoto College SADD Expo, where students got hands-on with practical skills like changing a tyre, learned about the dangers of impaired driving, and even had an extra-special visit from KITT — the car from the TV show Knight Rider! 

There was plenty more happening across the motu too! Te Puke SADD created a pledge wall, Nayland College got hands-on with speed lasers and impairment goggles, and Mount Albert Grammar have been making some epic plans for their upcoming activities. We also held another successful regional workshop in Waitaki this week, with a great turnout as always!

Our National Leaders have been getting involved too, with Esha taking part in an inspiring road safety debate alongside rangatahi from across the capital. The event brought Wellington rangatahi together to connect with new voices and have meaningful conversations about the upcoming driver licensing changes coming into effect in January 2027.

It’s been awesome to see so many SADD groups getting creative, trying new things and finding different ways to get their communities talking about road safety.

Hailing from all corners of Aotearoa, our brand-new Year 12 National Leaders are ready to make a big impact on youth road safety!

From raising awareness about e-scooter safety to helping other young people find their voice and take action, these fresh faces are keen to get stuck in, share their ideas and make a difference in their communities.

SADD is super excited to meet this awesome new group in person at the National Leadership Hui during the October school holidays. Together, we’ll be developing their leadership skills, refining their ideas and inspiring them to be the best leaders they can be.

10 simple ways to Show Up this term

We’re already halfway through Term 3, which means there’s still plenty of time to get involved with Show Up and make a difference this term.

Showing up doesn’t have to mean doing something huge. Small actions can make a real difference when it comes to keeping your mates, whānau and community safe on the road.

Here are 10 simple ways you can show up this term:

1. Start a road safety conversation

Get people talking about road safety. Use our conversation cards to spark a discussion with your friends, class or SADD group.

2. Be the sober driver

If you have a full licence, offer to be the sober driver and get your mates home safely. Remember, being the sober driver means staying completely alcohol and drug-free.

3. Speak up

See a mate about to make an unsafe choice? Say something. You don’t need a perfect speech, just the confidence to speak up.

4. Make a social media post

Share a road safety message, a Show Up post or something your SADD group is doing. One post can start a conversation and reach plenty of people.

5. Run a quick activity

Get your SADD group together and run an activity from the Activity Hub. Keep it simple, get people involved and start a conversation.

6. Talk about the journey home

Before heading out, make a plan. Who’s driving? Where are you staying? How are you getting home? Don’t leave it until the end of the night.

7. Look out for your mates

Showing up means being there when your friends need you. If someone isn’t in a fit state to drive, help them find another way home.

8. Get your school involved

Put up a poster, make an announcement, organise a lunchtime activity or get your classmates involved in Show Up.

9. Nominate someone for an Impact Award

Know someone who is making a difference? Nominate them for a SADD Impact Award and help us celebrate the people showing up for safer roads.

10. Do one thing

You don’t have to do all 10. Pick one thing you can do before the end of Term 3 and make it happen.

And don’t forget to tell us!

Whatever you choose to do, let us know. Send us a photo, video or quick update about what you’ve done. We want to see how you’re showing up and celebrate the difference you’re making in your school and community.

There’s still time to Show Up, speak up and make a difference. What will you do?

🏆 Congratulations to our July SADD Impact Awards Monthly Award winner!

A huge congratulations to Rui-Han from Rangitoto College, our July SADD Impact Awards Monthly Award recipient!

As part of the Rangitoto College SADD group, Rui-Han has shown outstanding leadership and commitment to youth-led road safety. Alongside his fellow SADD members, he helped deliver Auckland's first regional SADD workshop in many years and a fantastic Road Safety Expo that engaged more than 200 students in interactive road safety learning with community partners.

Rui-Han's enthusiasm, initiative, and dedication to creating opportunities for young people are making a real difference at Rangitoto College and across the wider Auckland SADD network.

Congratulations, Rui-Han, and thank you to the entire Rangitoto College SADD group for everything you're doing to create safer communities! 👏

Know a student or SADD group making an impact? Nominations for our next SADD Impact Awards Monthly Award are now open, so help us celebrate the amazing young people leading road safety action in their schools and communities.

If your school has junior classes, or you're connected with local early childhood centres or primary schools, this free resource from NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi is worth checking out. It could even be a great activity for SADD groups to take to their local Primary school to share road safety education with future SADD leaders!

Travelling with Tiaki is a picture book and education pack that introduces young children to key road safety messages through the story of Tiaki the kākāpō. Designed for early childhood settings and Years 1-2, the pack includes classroom activities, a booster seat height chart, road sign play resources, and free copies of the book in both English and te reo Māori.

A great resource to share with those helping young children build safe road habits from the start.

Check out our events page of our website for all the key dates to pop in your 2026 calendars! This term we have our Show Up campaign, Term 3 workshops and more on offer, so keep an eye on this page as more dates and locations will be added every week.

A massive thank-you to everyone who hit the donate button and sent support zooming our way this past month!

We’re so grateful to the following generous donors:

AS, MV, PN, VA & N from Auckland, KT from New Plymouth, QL from Wellington, SN from Blenheim, JY from Nelson, OH from Queenstown, CL from Christchurch, PS from Otago, JH from Balclutha

Ngā mihi nui!