SADD marks 40 years empowering youth to prevent harm on our roads

This year marks 40 years since Students Against Dangerous Driving (SADD) Kaitiaki o Ara began its mission to empower young people to make safer choices on New Zealand roads.

SADD began in Massachusetts in 1981. In 1985, it was introduced to New Zealand by an American exchange student at Mahurangi College in Warkworth. What began as a grassroots response to the devastating toll of youth road crashes has grown into a nationwide movement led by thousands of passionate rangatahi who are stepping up to protect their peers and communities.

Back then, SADD stood for Students Against Driving Drunk and was initially supported by Rotary. Momentum grew, the AA stepped in to support the initiatives, and by the late 1980s, SADD had become a national organisation with resources sent to every secondary school in New Zealand. Today, more than 200 schools are involved in SADD, the only student-led road safety education organisation in Australasia.

The organisation changed to Students Against Dangerous Driving in 2014 to encompass the bigger-picture challenges young people face on the road. Over the past 40 years, the charitable organisation has moved beyond its original focus on drink driving to address a broader spectrum of dangerous behaviours, including speeding, seatbelt non-use, and distractions caused by mobile devices and social media.

SADD General Manager, Donna Govorko, says, “We’re incredibly proud to celebrate 40 years in New Zealand and everything our young leaders have achieved across generations. As the needs of rangatahi have evolved over time, so have we – intentionally moving away from the fear mongering tactics of the early days and instead showing the power of peer-to-peer education and empowerment.”

Article from 1991 of a crashed car activity

“This includes peer pressure, driving distracted and managing fatigue. SADD also encourages and supports young people on their driver licence journey, so that anyone who drives on our roads is equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to be safe drivers,” she says.

A recent survey of 1,000 young Kiwi drivers, commissioned by the AA Research Foundation, reveals the need for continued focus on reducing harmful behaviours behind the wheel. Two-thirds (66%) admitted to speeding in a 50km/h zone, while one in five (22%) confessed to driving without a seatbelt. Alarmingly, 23% said they had scrolled through social media while driving. These risky behaviours are reflected in the statistics, with one-third (35%) of respondents reporting they’ve been involved in a crash in the past five years.

“When it comes to young people on the road, whether they’re behind the wheel, cycling or even just walking, there are risks that will never completely go away,” says Govorko. “That’s why the work we do, is so important in helping to reduce the chances of a crash, injury, or worse.”

 “Young drivers are seven times more likely to be involved in a fatal or serious crash in the first six months of solo driving. It’s inspiring to see how SADD has grown into such a strong youth voice and created opportunities for young drivers to lead the road safety conversation with their peers.”

SADD Operations Manager Victoria Domigan has been with SADD for 12 years, she has seen many changes throughout that time. She says “SADD’s vision is to empower young Kiwis to prevent loss on our roads, together. It’s this strong sense of student-led unity, that’s paramount to SADD’s longstanding success”. Students and schools work alongside national road safety organisations, towards the goal of reducing harm on the roads and improving the wellbeing of young New Zealanders.  

Victoria says “the organisation has introduced four programme aspirations: safe vehicles, safe road users, sharing our roads and the driver licence journey. In 2022, the te reo Māori phrase ‘Kaitiaki o Ora’ was woven into the brand name, translating to ‘guardians of the path, or journey’.

“It’s about empowering youth to be in control of their own destinies,” Victoria says.

The SADD team provides guidance and support using good practice, evidence based, road safety education approaches to influence their peers and wider community to positively promote safe road user behaviours. Encouraging whole community approaches to encourage positive, lifelong road user behaviours and reduce the incidence and severity of harm caused by road trauma. The point of difference is in offering youth-centred leadership development and behaviour changing opportunities within a road safety context. An emphasis is on good decision making and societal contribution. SADD offers opportunities for students to work collaboratively and build relationships with road safety partners and community groups to develop solutions to achieve our collective goals of reducing harm on our roads and improved wellbeing outcomes for our rangatahi. 

SADD holds annual national conferences and regional workshops with thousands of Kiwi students to empower them to lead the way to influence their peers to adopt safer road user behaviours and build a positive road safety culture. 

SADD students brainstorming ideas for youth-led activities

Thousands of young people have been part of the SADD movement over the years, many of whom have gone on to become advocates and leaders in the road safety sector. Alumni have won Road Safety Hero Awards, worked with the New Zealand Institute of Driver Educators, conducted academic research, contributed to policy changes and presented youth perspectives to NZTA, the Ministry of Transport and local councils. SADD not only enhances road safety but also builds young leaders through our Leadership programme, leaders like Tayla Hill and Sterling Maxwell have gone on to influence wider audiences to be safer on our roads.

Students attending annual SADD conference

Former Gisborne Girls High student Sterling Maxwell, was a National Leader and elected as the first youth representative on the SADD board of trustees and developed SADD’s Māori advisory group and Māori Engagement Strategy.

Sterling Maxwell and fellow National Leaders

Sterling’s advocacy has led her to represent Students Against Dangerous Driving on a national level and take her work to government agencies. She conducted a large study into driver licence breaches, which she presented to NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi and the Ministry of Transport.

In 2022, Maxwell won the inaugural Yellow Ribbon Road Safety Alliance Hero Award.

“I think that award was nice in the way that it gave more recognition to the issues that we need to focus on, and also the support from the different groups to help me even get to that point where I was being given an award.”

Maxwell said the importance of being safe on the road was brought home to her after she joined SADD. “I lost a few friends and whānau in car accidents. Seeing the people closest to them after the accidents made me more motivated because I wished they never had to experience that pain in the first place.”

She wants to continue working in the community after she graduates. “I think any job that I take up after I finish off university is going to be an extension of what I was already doing – a position where I’m able to be in the community or help the community.”

Upper Hutt College student Tayla Hill, who served as a national leader and youth representative for SADD says, “What I love is how student-led SADD is. It empowers students to make change and understand why safety is so important,” she says.

Tayla Hill

“I’m proud of the opportunities SADD has given me. I’ve been able to represent SADD in front of the New Zealand Institute of Driver Educators, speak at the recent AA conference and continue making connections as I moved from Wellington to Hamilton. All of these experiences have meant a lot, allowing me to grow my network and continue doing rewarding work.”

Backed by decades of evidence showing the power of peer influence, SADD equips students with the tools, resources, and confidence to lead meaningful, student-driven initiatives. SADD helps prepare students to understand what it means to be a safe road user. Along with building leaders it creates pathways and opportunities for young people that can come from getting involved with SADD, as well as networks, experiences, skills and awards to be gained. 

SADD believes all secondary schools should have a SADD group to help facilitate student-led learning and uphold the duty of care for students travelling to and from school and preparing them to be safe and prepared for life outside of school and continue to contribute to a positive road safety culture. 

If you want to find out more about SADD or get SADD up and running in your community please visit www.sadd.org.nz/contact-us.