The NRST is a Charitable Trust governed by a voluntary Trust Board initially set up in 1995 under Bill Rossiter, and later Gillian Archer. Today the Board includes members with many years’ experience in the roading industry, in best road safety practices, driving instruction, trucking company operation, and policing. Each member contributes a wide range of expertise.
We receive funding to invest in road safety programmes in Kaipara and Whangarei Districts from Hukerenui in the north to Mangawhai heads and across to Oruawharo in the south.
We are contracted by Whangarei District and Kaipara Councils to source the best available service providers in a variety of arenas to deliver high quality programmes, and we are continually developing programmes as the need for them arises. For instance, impaired driving has become much more prevalent, and we are currently focusing on this significant road safety hazard and considering options to manage the growing threat of impaired drivers to road user safety.
Since its inception NRST has developed programmes in response to road safety priorities which focus on developing and changing driving behaviour using one-to-one and group education approaches rather than mass media promotion. A number of programmes have won national awards for innovation, focus, and delivered outcomes. Activities range from contracting rugby referees to deliver after-match road safety talks to rugby players, to developing the nationally recognised Drive Soba psychology-based education programme for recidivist drink drivers. Drive Soba has achieved an approximately 86% non-reoffending rate in Whangarei and Kaipara Districts over the thirteen years the programme has run.
Long before it became a national programme, NRST developed the Community Mentor Driver programme to help young drivers gain their restricted licence. Learner drivers are today assisted by voluntary mentors contracted by NRST through six Whangarei and Kaipara Districts collegial organisations. Through these contracts learner-drivers receive the driving practice they require to be qualified and employable drivers. NRST has been involved with secondary schools over many years through Rotary Young Driver Awareness (RYDA) and Students Against Dangerous Driving (SADD) to influence good driver behaviour in young drivers.
The Trust won a National Community Road Safety award in 2019 for its support and advocacy of the RYDA programme.
A key dimension of NRST operations over the years has been the relationships, partnerships, and networks we’ve built with providers, community groups, Councils, Northland Transport Alliance (NTA), the Police, associated agencies, the media and the wider public. We remain open to developing new concepts and providing media comment, and we have created a regular newspaper column in The Northern Advocate about road safety matters
Other activities have included:
- Silver Fern Farms Driver Licensing Week – a multi-agency approach around driver licensing in areas where a testing station isn’t available
- Short film competition with SADD around distracted driving – using the ‘Drive in the Moment’ toolkit
- Driver Mentoring and a Learner Licensing study group programme in Mangawhai at Te Whai Community Trust
- Fatigue stops at Uretiti
- Motorcycle rest stops offering encouragement to take for the Ride Forever course
Our current Road Safety Co-ordinator is Ashley Johnston who continues to manage and develop priority community road safety programmes through our community partners and voluntary groups.
The Trust meets bi-monthly to oversee activities and funding. Its’ focal point rests squarely on the delivery of responsible, outcome-based, cost-effective, education-based programmes which include strong community local-share involvement. The Trust seeks also to be a good employer.
