Council has responsibility for land transport activity in Upper Hutt and covers management of all land transport matters, including the city’s network of local roads. Part of our function is to ensure that residents and visitors to Upper Hutt can move freely, efficiently and safely throughout the city.
Safety of all road users is a paramount concern of Council. Council works in conjunction with the New Zealand Police, Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency, Accident Compensation Corporation, schools, and community groups on road safety initiatives that work towards New Zealand's Road to Zero vision of ‘A New Zealand where no one is killed or seriously injured in road crashes.'
Upper Hutt City Road Safety Co-ordinator
Caroline Tansell
caroline.tansell@uhcc.govt.nz
Children need to be safe when out in the community. There is a resource available called 'Hike it, Bike it, Skate it: Safer Journeys for School Children: A Whānau and Caregivers' guide'. This booklet describes the things you need to know to help teach your child about staying safe on roads and near railways. Available as a PDF in English, Māori, Cook Island Māori, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Hindi, Samoan and Tongan.
Find out more at education.nzta.govt.nz
What can riders do to stay safe?
In 2017, there were 7,372 motorcyclists that received treatment, help and support from the ACC after they’d been injured on a bike. To avoid crashes, we’re reminding motorcyclists to:
- Upskill by completing a Ride Forever skills course
- Check your bike is roadworthy
- Wear the right gear every time you ride
- Consider a bike with ABS brakes, if you’re in the market for a new bike.
What can drivers do to help increase rider safety?
Drivers play a key role in helping to keep motorcyclists safe, especially in heavy traffic. Drivers need to know that they’ll be seeing more bikes on the road over the warmer months, starting from September.
We encourage drivers to be extra careful and keep a look out for bikes when they’re driving. They need to check their blind spot by turning their head to check behind them, especially before changing lanes, and to be mindful at intersections as motorcyclists can appear suddenly.
Ride Forever training courses
Ride Forever is ACC’s subsidised rider training programme with courses available for all skill levels, from beginner through to elite. Expert training like this has a value of around $300, but with the ACC subsidy courses cost riders $20 to $50. rideforever.co.nz/coaching
Learning to Drive?
Check out drive.govt.nz
A great online tool to help you get your Learner, Restricted or Full Licence. Lots of tips for drivers teaching someone to drive too.
NZAA Coaching Session
The NZAA wants to keep senior drivers safe, confident and independently mobile for as long as possible, so they’re offering a FREE 1 hour coaching session to AA members aged 74 plus. This is a relaxed session with a friendly AA Driving Instructor in your own vehicle. Call 0800 223 748 or visit aa.co.nz
Staying Safe Refresher Driving Course
Staying Safe is a classroom-based refresher workshop for senior road users. Age Concern runs these workshops in partnership with Waka Kotahi (NZTA).
The workshop aims to maintain and improve safe driving practices and increase the knowledge of other transport options available to help senior road users remain safely mobile.
The free interactive workshop runs for around 4 hours, with lunch provided. Spaces at each workshop are limited so please register using the form below.
For upcoming course dates in 2023 visit acwellington.org.nz
Less Speed, Less Harm
The single biggest road safety issue in New Zealand today is speed – drivers travelling too fast for the conditions.
Adjust your speed to the conditions.
nzta.govt.nz
Crashes at intersections are an area of concern for the Wellington region, with poor observation being the leading cause.
Test your knowledge of the rules on the following websites:
More children are out and about before and after school – let’s keep them safe.
Safe use of the road is a shared responsibility – we all need to work on it.
School Patrol help children cross the road safely at many of our Upper Hutt schools – please watch out for them and be prepared to stop.
Most children are restrained when travelling in vehicles … BUT around 80% of child restraints are either not installed correctly or not appropriate for the child.
Under New Zealand law, all children under seven years of age must use an approved child restraint appropriate for their age and size. Children aged seven must be secured in a restraint if one is available in the vehicle.
View the requirements for using child restraints at nzta.govt.nz
Child restraints save lives but it’s vital a child restraint is installed correctly to keep your child safe.
We know installing a child restraint isn’t the easiest thing to do, so the New Zealand Transport Agency has created a series of videos to show you how to correctly install your child restraint and fit your child in it properly.
They have also provided tips on buying a child restraint and talk you through the legal requirements for using child restraints in New Zealand.
Find out about buying and installing child restraints at nzta.govt.nz
There has been a tragic increase in the number of road deaths involving people who weren’t wearing a seat belt. Wearing a seat belt is one of the simplest safety measures you and your passengers can take, and it could save your life. (Brake Aotearoa NZ)
Seatbelts save lives, increasing your chance of surviving by 40%. Most of us accept that, however when people choose not to wear their seatbelt while driving, they put themselves in greater danger of being fatally or seriously injured if they are involved in a crash. In the last five years, 300 people have died because they didn’t wear a seatbelt.
View the requirements for wearing seatbelts at nzta.govt.nz
Free car seat checks
Upper Hutt City Council is working with a local child restraint technician from Car Seat Savvy to offer free car seat checks. Monthly checks are held at the Upper Hutt Plunket on the corner of Logan St and Kowhai Ave for many months of the year. Bookings are essential.
Contact the Upper Hutt City Road Safety Co-ordinator to make a booking caroline.tansell@uhcc.govt.nz.
Please advise how many seats you need to have checked and your cellphone number so we can contact you.
DID YOU KNOW THAT CAR SEATS EXPIRE?
Child restraints (car seats) have a lifespan of 5-10 years. These dates vary depending on the brand.
To find out more about child restraint expiry dates and the Seatsmart recycling programme go to seatsmart.co.nz
The Car Seat Dude is a certified child restraint technician/trainer/assessor. He brings an evidence based perspective to child car seat safety, reinforced by an engineering background and 14+ years as a crash analyst. He has kindly allowed us to use the following infographics that help explain about car seat expiry dates.
