Employers are being urged to be Road Safety Heroes and help spread key road safety messages by signing up for Road Safety Week (4 – 10 May 2026), and join hundreds of communities, schools and organisations running activities to raise awareness of road safety issues.
Road Safety Week is coordinated by Brake, the road safety charity and sponsored by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) and Beca. The theme of the week is Be a road safety hero, recognising all those who are working to make our roads safer for everyone – from designing safer roads to caring for people after a crash – and highlighting the part we can all play in making roads safer.
Brake is encouraging organisations to go to www.roadsafetyweek.org.nz/organisations for ideas on taking part, and to sign up for a free electronic action pack to help them raise awareness and promote safer road use to staff, contractors, customers and the wider community. This will include downloadable resources and activity ideas, advice, and case studies showing how other organisations have got involved in previous years.
A free webinar for organisations will provide details on taking part in Road Safety Week, ideas for getting involved, and information about how other organisations have previously participated. Details are:
Road Safety Week for companies and communities
Tuesday 31 March
12pm – 12.30pm NZDT
FREE to attend.
For people who can’t attend the session, a recording will be provided, simply sign up for the session to receive the link.
2026 marks the 15th year that Road Safety Week has been held, engaging schools, communities and organisations in road safety activities. The week is a great opportunity for employers, especially those with staff who drive for work, to develop and promote safe travel internally, raise awareness in their local community, and link with other organisations to run road safety campaigns.
Caroline Perry, Brake’s NZ Director says: “Everyone should be able to get around in safe and healthy ways, every day. There are lots of people who work to make our roads safer, to save lives when crashes happen, and to support those affected by crashes, so this Road Safety Week we want to recognise all these Road Safety Heroes and highlight how everyone can be a hero too.
“Employers can really take the lead on safe and healthy journeys and help get these vital messages out to drivers, families, and the wider community, making a big difference to their local area. It’s easy to get involved – just visit the Road Safety Week website and sign up to get a free action pack.”
NZTA Strategy Director - Safety, Fabian Marsh, says NZTA is proud to sponsor Road Safety Week 2026, as making New Zealand roads safer for everyone is a top priority for the organisation.
“Road Safety Week is a great time for employers across New Zealand to promote safe driving and safe travel for their staff, and to help raise awareness of road safety in their local communities.”
Andrea Rickard, Managing Director – New Zealand, Beca says: “Reducing harm on Aotearoa’s roads is a vital part of our work at Beca. We’re proud to again stand alongside Brake, NZ Transport Agency, our partners and all the road safety heroes in communities across the motu who work every day to make our roads safer. I know our Beca teams around New Zealand are excited to get out and promote road safety messages in the communities we live and work in, including teaching students in our local schools about how to stay safe on and around roads.”
Celebrate your Road Safety Heroes
There are ways you can highlight your own Road Safety Heroes locally during Road Safety Week, and ideas are included in the action pack.
Heroes will also be celebrated nationally throughout the week. Brake is a member of the Yellow Ribbon Road Safety Alliance, a group of organisations working to raise awareness of road safety. The Alliance will be presenting the annual Road Safety Hero Awards during Road Safety Week, and Brake will also be highlighting the important work of a range of people working to make our roads safer.
The Road Safety Hero Awards are open for nominations until Friday 17 April in the following categories:
- Youth Road Safety Hero (under 25s)
- Community Road Safety Hero
- Professionals Road Safety Hero
If you have a Hero you would like to nominate for the awards, you can find more details here.
Go Yellow in Road Safety Week
Another way the Alliance raises awareness of road safety is through use of the colour yellow, including wearing yellow ribbon pins and lighting up bridges, buildings, and icons yellow during Road Safety Week. Other organisations can support this by lighting local buildings or icons, wearing yellow, or wearing a yellow ribbon pin. If you have a local icon that could be lit yellow, please get in contact with Brake or the Alliance. More information is available on the Road Safety Week website.
Fundraise
As a charity, Brake is reliant on fundraising to help us to continue providing free support resources to people affected by road crashes. Many organisations choose to support Brake with a fundraiser such as a Go Yellow Day during Road Safety Week. Fundraising ideas can be found here: www.roadsafetyweek.org.nz/fundraise.
