Nelson City Council

Take the Road Safety Survey

To tie in with the release of the Road Safety tabloid, you are invited to complete this two minute online survey about road safety. Click here to complete the Road Safety Survey.

The Council's road safety co-ordinator's primary responsibility is to co-ordinate the efforts of key road safety organisations and community groups throughout the city. Other duties include a strong educational and advocacy role and linking closely to local police enforcement, the Council's parking enforcement and engineering workers. Council does not charge for this service.

Contact

Contact the Road Safety Co-ordinator by email, phone +64 3 546 0390, or mobile 027 678 3384.

Community Road Safety Programme

Each year an educational road safety programme is developed to co-ordinate local community efforts. A funding scheme administered by Land Transport New Zealand called the Community Road Safety Programme provides an annual opportunity for Local Authorities to seek funding assistance for projects that attempt to address identified road safety priorities for the City.

If you have a project that you would like to have considered for funding assistance, please contact the Road Safety Co-ordinator.

For the 2008-2009 year the following programmes and community projects have been funded.

Safe with Age courses

For drivers over the age of 55, refresh your driving knowledge and receive a subsidised, practical coaching and assessment lesson.! Free four-hour courses are designed to relieve anxiety and refresh skills for driving on today's roads and participants receive a $30 voucher toward the coaching lesson. Contact John Steel on +64 3 547 4010 or the Council's Road Safety Coordinator on +64 3 546 0390 for more information and the dates for the next course.

Drive Sober - Youth Project

Between 2000 and 2004, alcohol was identified as a factor in 10 percent of crashes on roads in Nelson city, a figure lower than for all roads in New Zealand and for similar authorities. However police report that apprehending rates for young drivers drinking and driving is on the increase. This project aims to target at-risk young people and their peers to raise awareness and as a preventative measure. The Councils support the work of SADD (Students Against Drunk Driving).

Intersection safety

Between 2000 and 2004, there were a total of 248 crashes (or 50 percent of all crashes) at intersections and driveways in Nelson City. Of these, 45 (18 percent) occurred at private driveways and accesses. During this five-year period, a total of 45 people were killed or seriously injured in intersection crashes.

Crashes at intersections and driveways made up 60 percent of all urban injury crashes and 18 percent of all rural injury crashes in Nelson City between 2000 and 2004. All of the intersection crashes in the rural area occurred on the state highway. Eighty three percent of intersection crashes that occurred in the urban area were on local roads. Learn more about intersection safety and crash hotspots.

Cycle safety

LTNZ and hospital data show a continuation of over representation of cyclists in our crash statistics. Ongoing concerns were brought to the bicycle advisory group by Bicycle Nelson Bays. The aims and objectives are to promote cycling in general, to improve safety of cyclists through campaigns aimed at the motorist (Look for Bikes) and the cyclist (helmets, visibility, safest routes etc). Advise and guidelines from the nationally developed cycle strategy will be followed. Work is carried out to coincide with National Bike week as well as with selective groups to encourage safe cycling - skills development and education about visibility/ helmets etc.

Adult cycling courses

For older cyclists to up-skill and regain confidence we will work to promote safe cycling routes and encourage the use of off road routes through maps and signage. Throughout the year development and distribution of resources will occur- Cats eyes, look for bikes stickers, Bike Nelson booklet and bike lights and bells.

0800 CYCLE-CRASH

A quick four minute call to 0800 CYCLE CRASH is all it takes to help Council gather information to make our roads safer for cycles. The cycle crash hotline trial is ongoing and there will be a new reporting form for the call centre to use which brings it more in line with police reporting forms. NCC uses this information to assist with policy formation and operational/maintenance work. Significant trends are shared at cycle forums and RSAP meetings if major enforcement or engineering actions are required.

Older Drivers

With the abolition of mandatory testing in December 2006 there are some changes underway but Council will continue to promote and deliver the Safe with Age programmes (road code refreshers) with the addition of promoting the subsidy they receive on a professional driving assessment if they complete this course. Courses are facilitated by a professional driving instructor (John Steel - local president of Institute of driving instructors). He is LTNZ approved and trained. Courses are held every 8 - 10 weeks and is free. Courses are also available in Richmond.

The course is also used as a form of "diversion" for police who attend minor crashes involving older drivers. The Nelson Traffic Court also refers people to this course as part of a package where errant older drivers are invited to attend the course, complete an eyesight test and a practical driving assessment as part of the court case outcome.

Child Restraint education

Survey data has shown a consistently high child restraint usage rate in Nelson City and Tasman District, however the main issue is whether restraint is correctly installed. There is room for improvement in some areas (Māori and Pacific Island) and to that end Te Korowai trust and Nelson City Council have set up a separate rental scheme.

The education programme of visiting preschools has been run for the last five years, is highly regarded and continues to be requested by them. This is also being delivered by Plunket staff -- using "Buckle bear" as a resource. The aims and objectives are to promote correct use of child restraints, with visits throughout the year on request of the preschools/kindergartens. Educator also speaks to antenatal classes at Nelson hospital. We also develop, print and distribute local car seat information resources.

Streetwise

The course targets young first time errant drivers (15-20 years) who are referred by the Court and police. Referees attend an approved driver improvement course (defensive driving) at their own cost (around $170). In addition they are requested to attend sections in first aid, alcohol and drugs, vehicle modifications, and consequences--set up and run by NCC. The courses came about because the Justices of the Peace who sit on the traffic court bench wanted a tool other than disqualification and fines. They felt the need for something more positive. Now referrals are taken from JPs, Restorative Justice, CYFS, Youth Aid and police.

Safe Journey to School

Walking School Buses and Cycle Trains

This project aims to make the journey to and from school safer for primary and intermediate school-age road users, including the Walking School Bus and the Cycle Trains. The project identifies safety issues for children in various School communities and aims to put measures in place to sort out any identified problem. The programme helps students, parents and teachers from the two schools identify their routes to and from school and around their community and any hazards and problems on those routes.

Driver License Assistance

This programme targets unlicensed drivers over 18 years old. Land Transport NZ provides funding and NCC provides administrative support. The programme is a highly acclaimed initiative of Senior Police Constable John O'Donovan (now run by Reuban McCormack) who continues to have a 100% pass rate. Anecdotal evidence suggests it has benefits that reach beyond road safety. The course targets people over 18 years of age, who do not have a driver's license because of learning difficulties, financial difficulties, and/or low self esteem. Police identified that many of these people have been driving for some time and incurred police prosecutions as a result. The objective of this project is that all participants obtain their Learners License in the first instance before progressing on to the Restricted and full Driver's license. Courses are run with the assistance of volunteers as needed and a police community constable willing to give his own time, energy and instruction to assist a trained and qualified drivers' license instructor. The venue is Whakatu Marae. The programme has been extensively reviewed within the Tasman Police Headquarters and as a result what started as the Nelson South pilot project has been extended in Marlborough.

DriveTime - Keys Please

DriveTime is a series of smaller seminars catering for clusters of secondary schools (total of 6). The joint Nelson City and Tasman District Council programme works with both young people learning to drive and the friends and relatives who are teaching them. The aim of this project is to assist new drivers and their coaches through the learn to drive process and equip them well for future safe driving.

Project funding

If you have a project that you would like to have considered for funding assistance, please contact the Road Safety Co-ordinator, phone/fax +64 3 546 0390, or mobile 027 678 3384.

Other contacts and sources of funding

Road Safety Trust

Road Safety Trust publicly call for applications approximately 2-3 times per year. For further details, contact:

Executive Officer
Road Safety Trust
P O Box 2394
Railway Station
Wellington
Telephone +64 4 494 8716
Fax +64 4 494 8601

Road Safe Nelson Bays

(formally the Nelson District Road Safety Council)

This group has been in operation for a number of years. It aims to provide a community voice for all road users and includes representatives from the police, councils, ACC, motorcyclists, heavy haulage, driving instructors, Transit NZ, Health Promotion and local cyclists.

This group meets monthly and can also assist with small amounts of funding for local road safety projects. For further information about the activities of this group contact the chairperson, Mr John Steel.

Telephone (secretary): +64 3 546 0390