Taupō Road Safety event to showcase emergency services

Darren Petry from Taupō District Council

See a crashed car being dissected by firefighters, talk to local road safety heroes and learn more about the devastating impact of vehicle crashes – and how you can avoid them – at a Road Safety Week event this weekend.

Road Safety Week is on now and to draw attention to the importance of staying safe on our roads we’re holding a Road Safety Day this Saturday (May 14) on Northcroft Domain, with local staff and demonstrations from emergency services to highlight the devastating impact of road crashes.

The event is a collaboration between Taupō District Council and road safety partner Brake, a national road safety charity that works to prevent road deaths and injuries and support people bereaved and injured in accidents across New Zealand.

Key partners participating include St John, Taupō Police, the Greenlea rescue helicopter and Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ).

Displays will include a car from Waka Kotahi which illustrates collision impact, a car being ‘dissected’ by FENZ staff then St John staff illustrating how they free occupants in an accident, displays, information and more.

This week has also featured radio interviews with key staff of these services, highlighting what they see and experience daily across our district. Key messages around road safety including speed, fatigue and driving to the conditions are all discussed and will be part of the event this weekend.

Council road safety coordinator Sarah Wraight is excited for the upcoming event.

“Come along and chat with our local road safety heroes. Bring the family, have a free sausage and kids can see some of our emergency vehicles and the work they do.

“Road safety is everyone’s responsibility so let’s keep each other safer on our roads, particularly as we get into the dangers of winter driving over the coming months.”

The Road Safety Week event is on at Northcroft Domain 10am to 1pm this Saturday and it’s free to attend.