RYDA Road Safety New Zealand

21/05/2026

It's Youth Week and it's not too late to check out Ara Taiohi for events celebrating rangatahi in your community. https://rb.gy/d370kp

21/05/2026

This week, Ryda New Zealand celebrated an impressive milestone – welcoming our 150,000th student through the doors.

Behind that number are years of workshops, conversations and shared moments. Permission slips collected. School timetables adjusted. Early morning setups. Volunteer hours. Tyres replaced. Dummies repaired. Students asking thoughtful questions and challenging each other to think differently.

It’s thousands of people, across hundreds of schools and communities, all playing a part in helping young people build safer futures on our roads.

To every teacher, facilitator, partner, volunteer, Rotarian, supporter and student who has been part of the journey – thank you.

And to our small but mighty New Zealand staff – thank you for the passion, care and hard work you bring to Ryda every single day. 💛

150,000 students is a milestone worth celebrating, but we know the real impact lives far beyond the number itself.

20/05/2026

At Ryda, we talk a lot about how mood and mindstate shape the choices we make on the road. Sometimes, the hardest part is simply recognising where you’re at. To help you in that task… we present our highly scientific tool: The Cage Gauge.

If you’re sitting somewhere on the top row – or dead centre – you’re probably good to go. Anywhere else… maybe take a moment.

Save it. Print it. Keep it somewhere visible as a reminder to check in with yourself before you drive. A little awareness can go a long way.

19/05/2026

Henderson parents and whānau - this one’s for you.

If you’re helping a teenager learn to drive, or they’re getting close to driving solo, this free Driver Coach evening is designed to give you practical tools, calm confidence and a better understanding of what young drivers are managing on the road.

Driver Coach Parent and Whānau evening.
📍 Te Pai Centre, Henderson
📅 Thursday 21 May
⏰ 6.00pm

Follow this link:

Join us for Driver Coach: A workshop for whanau to support teens in driving safely. Gain essential insights from Road Safety Education

18/05/2026

Great to see the Dunedin City Council supporting young people and whānau through Ryda and Driver Coach.

Learning to drive is about more than passing a test. It’s about helping teenagers build confidence, make safer decisions and understand the influence passengers, pressure and distractions can have behind the wheel.

If you’re supporting a teen driver in Dunedin, this free evening is well worth attending 👇

Each year, the DCC supports our Year 12 students to participate in the Ryda programme, a one-day workshop designed to teach essential driving skills and road safety. Ryda also offers a free Driver Coach evening session for parents and caregivers of teenage drivers.

Driver Coach is an evening session designed to support adults who are helping young people learn to drive or transition to independent driving. It’s very practical and focuses on giving parents and caregivers confidence, tools, and a better understanding of the challenges young drivers face.

The session covers things like:

👉How the teenage brain develops and how this impacts driving
👉Risk factors for young drivers
👉Practical ways to coach a learner driver
👉Supporting the move from supervised driving to driving solo
👉Working alongside driving instructors
👉Simple strategies families can use at home.

Event details:
📍Cooke Howlison Toyota, 500 Andersons Bay Rd, Dunedin
📅Monday 25 May 2026
⌚5.30pm – 7.30pm

REGISTER HERE:

https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/teaching-your-teenager-to-drive-parent-evening-dunedin-free-tickets-1981254409272?aff=erelexpmlt

15/05/2026

Recent Ryda workshops in the Hāwera area brought together students from Stratford High School, Te Paepae o Aotea, and Opunake High School.

This reel shares their feedback in their own words.

A great reminder that safer choices start with noticing more.

14/05/2026

Good mates speak up.

At school. Online. In the car.

This Pink Shirt Day, Ryda supports the message to speak up, stand together and stop bullying.

For young people, being a good mate can show up in small moments. Checking in. Not joining in. Changing the subject. Saying something when it does not feel right.

That same quiet courage matters on the road too.

A passenger can help shift the mood in the car, reduce pressure and make it easier for everyone to get home safely.

Small moments matter.

13/05/2026

Got a learner driver at home, or a teen who is already out and about with mates?

This free Driver Coach evening will help whānau, parents and carers support teens to build safer habits, understand risk and feel empowered to make good decisions as drivers and passengers.

Scan the QR code in the photo to get your free ticket or follow this link: https://Driver_Coach_Henderson.eventbrite.co.nz

12/05/2026

Last week, students from Dilworth College and Michael Park School took part in a Ryda workshop, looking at the choices that shape every journey.

A big part of the day was passenger influence. Many students are not driving yet, but they still play a role in the car. They can affect the mood, the level of distraction, the pressure and the decisions made along the way.

Ryda helps young people understand that influence and use it positively. To calm things down. To speak up when something does not feel right. To look out for their mates.

Students also explored speed, braking and decision-making.

No scare tactics. No lectures. Just real-world learning for the moments young people actually face.