Toyota New Zealand has announced it will provide an important funding boost to the Road Safety Education Limited programme, to support the programme’s goal to save lives by providing world-class road safety education to young Kiwis.

The Road Safety Education Limited (RYDA) programme provides a ‘whole of school’ approach through an engaging and memorable workshop supported by online learning and classroom resources to high school students throughout the nation. 

The three-year partnership will see Toyota NZ provide $225,000 in funding to support RYDA’s school education programmes, as well as providing four Toyota Corolla Cross hybrids for use by the RYDA team throughout New Zealand.

Toyota New Zealand Marketing Vice President, Andrew Davis, says the programme is already making a tangible impact on New Zealand communities by contributing to a reduction in deaths and serious injuries on New Zealand’s roads, with a particular focus on rangatahi/young people.

“Young drivers aged between 16 and 24 are at far greater risk of being involved in fatal or serious injury crashes. Over the past 10 years, around 7,000 young people aged 16-24 were killed or seriously injured on our roads,” says Andrew. 

“The economic cost of road crashes is huge – amounting to $4.9 million annually for New Zealand. That pales in significance to the huge human cost – lost loved ones, friends, parents, and children.”

Andrew highlights that Toyota NZ’s goal through supporting RYDA is to accelerate national progress in reducing road deaths, and the partnership formed an important component of its commitment to supporting local communities.

“We have the capability to help drive positive change for Aotearoa New Zealand, to develop a transport ecosystem that’s safe and accessible to everyone. Our community is all of Aotearoa: we always focus on how we can make a positive social impact through our operations,” he adds.

Road Safety Education Limited New Zealand General Manager, Maria Lovelock, says that the organisation is excited to commence its work with Toyota NZ through the RYDA programme.

“Our goal is to eventually reach every Year 12 student in NZ with the RYDA programme, and then to take it even further – to go more in-depth with students and their whānau and create even better outcomes. Our ultimate goal is to reduce the number of road deaths in young people to zero,” she adds.

The Road Safety Education Limited New Zealand RYDA programme is Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency approved and runs at more than 150 high schools in New Zealand, reaching over 10,000 students annually.