Kia ora koutou!

Welcome to the September Kaitiaki o Ara/SADD Newsletter! As the weather starts warming up, we’re focusing on active transport - even when you’re walking, biking, scooting, or skating your way around town, small choices can still make a big difference.

In this issue, we’re spotlighting some epic student mahi from Tauranga Girls' College and Inglewood High School. September is Motorcycle Awareness Month and we encourage riders to check their gear and refresh their skills.

Scroll down to learn more about a cool new virtual reality driver training program! MINTEDVR offers young learners a safe, realistic virtual environment to build confidence and practice essential driving skills before taking to the real road.

Plus, join us in giving a huge shout-out to our August Impact Award winner, Khushi from Hastings Girls’ High School!

Ngā mihi nui,

Sophie Gregory - Team Admin

Active Transport: Making Safer Choices on the Move

Active transport is all about getting from A to B using your own energy, whether that’s walking, biking, scooting or skating. It’s a great way to stay active, connect with your community and reduce the number of cars on the road. But no matter how you choose to get around, road safety needs to be part of the journey.

Share the road, look out for each other

When you’re walking, biking or scooting, you’re sharing the road environment with drivers, other riders and pedestrians. This means staying aware of what’s happening around you and making choices that help keep everyone safe.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Be visible: Wear bright or reflective clothing when it’s dark or visibility is poor, and use lights on your bike or scooter at night.

• Stay aware: Put your phone away, keep your eyes and ears open, and look out for vehicles, driveways and other road users.

• Plan your route: Choose footpaths, cycleways and quieter streets where possible. Think ahead about busy intersections and places where you’ll need to cross the road.

• Make safe choices: Follow road rules, use pedestrian crossings where available, and wear a properly fitted helmet when biking or scooting.

• Look out for your mates: Travel together when you can, encourage safe choices and make sure everyone gets home safely.

Small choices can make a big difference

Active transport is more than just how we get around. It’s an opportunity to take responsibility for our own safety and the safety of those around us. Whether you’re walking to school, biking to the shops or scooting to meet friends, every journey is a chance to make safer choices.

This month, think about how you get around and what you can do to make your next journey safer. Share your active transport tips with your mates and help create a community where everyone can get where they’re going safely.

Delivery Spotlight!

Ka pai to all our SADD groups for continuing to bring energy, creativity and student voice to road safety!

September is Motorcycle Awareness Month (MAM) — a great reminder that as the weather warms up, more motorcycles will be back on our roads.

This year’s theme, “Let’s Ride – new season, same freedom”, encourages riders to get ready for the season ahead by checking their bike and gear, and refreshing their riding skills. Ride Forever courses are a great way to build confidence and sharpen those skills.

Motorcyclists face a higher level of risk on our roads, with around 50 riders losing their lives in crashes each year. Whether you’re riding or driving, taking a little extra care and awareness can help everyone get home safely.

Want to help spread the message? Check out SADD’s Motorcycle Safety page for resources and downloadable posters that schools and communities can use to promote motorcycle safety. The posters were created by 2025 SADD Regional Leader Deklin, showing how our student leaders can help create positive road safety messages for their communities.

MINTEDVR: A New Way to Learn Before You Drive

Learning to drive can be exciting, but getting behind the wheel for the first time can also be daunting. MINTEDVR is a New Zealand-developed virtual reality driver training programme helping young people build confidence and develop safer driving habits before they take to the road.

Created by former police officer and road safety advocate Ashley Gore, MINTEDVR allows learners to practise essential driving skills in a realistic virtual environment, including checking mirrors, navigating intersections and making safe decisions in traffic. The programme complements practical driver training and provides an opportunity to learn in a safe environment.

Read the full blog to learn more about how MINTEDVR is making driver education more accessible for young people across Aotearoa.

As we celebrate Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori and this month’s theme of active transport, Bobbi, one of our Programme Delivery Leads, shares a reflection on how small choices can make a bigger impact.

Sometimes the small choices we make feel insignificant, but when we keep making them, they can become something much bigger.

Learning te reo Māori has been a challenging haerenga for me, but I’m learning that even the small amount of te reo I use can have an impact on myself and on those around me.

It got me thinking about how this relates to my mahi at Kaitiaki o Ara / SADD. Choosing to walk, bike or take the bus instead of driving for one day might not change the world, but it does make a small difference.

Ahakoa he iti, he pounamu.
Although it is small, it is precious.

A huge congratulations to Khushi from Hastings Girls’ High School, our August SADD Impact Awards Monthly Award recipient!

Khushi has shown outstanding leadership and commitment to making road safety an ongoing part of school life. She has brought together Police and the Impairment Team for practical road safety activities, led regular SADD assemblies and meetings, and encouraged students to make safer choices both behind the wheel and as pedestrians.

Alongside her ongoing road safety mahi, Khushi is growing her SADD group and exploring ways to take road safety awareness beyond her school and across Hawke’s Bay. Her initiative, enthusiasm and dedication to getting others involved are helping create a stronger culture of safer decision-making in her school and wider community.

Congratulations, Khushi, and thank you for stepping up, getting others involved and making an impact! 👏

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.

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! Keep an eye on this page as more dates and locations will be added every week.

A big thank you to the awesome people below who have made donations to Kaitiaki o Ara/SADD this month.

TM, YB & JA from Auckland, CO from Rotorua, RR & YJ from Nelson, SN from Blenheim & JM from Otago

Every dollar donated goes directly to supporting students and providing resources across Aotearoa. Ngā mihi!