Supercars helps revive Street Smart safe driving programme

Street Smart relaunches in Canterbury to support young driver safety

As Christchurch prepared to host its first Supercars event in April, an equally important conversation was happening off the track – road safety for young Cantabrians. Supercars in collaboration with ChristchurchNZ and with support from New Zealand Police helped relaunch Street Smart in Canterbury, putting ten local participants through the training.

What is Street Smart and why does it matter for young drivers?

Street Smart is a hands‑on, practical driver training programme designed to equip young New Zealanders with the skills, awareness and decision‑making tools needed to safely navigate everyday driving. With motorsport legend Greg Murphy endorsing Street Smart, the arrival of Supercars in Christchurch provided a timely opportunity to reach young drivers with a clear message about safety, skill and responsibility.

Street Smart Programme Director Hayden Dickason says the initiative was created by a group of people united by a common concern — the disproportionate impact road crashes continue to have on young New Zealanders.

“When researching world best driver training practices, it was clear to Street Smart that New Zealand lacked a hands-on, cognitive approach to young driver learning,” Dickason says.

What do participants learn during the Street Smart programme?

Street Smart places young drivers, alongside a parent or guardian, into a day of real-world practical learning. Participants rotate through seven activities, each guided by professional driving coaches in a controlled setting.

“Our core purpose is to have more safe and aware drivers on our roads and to save lives,” Dickason says. “By having young people experience the programme at an early age, they can take their learnings on how to be a more safe and aware driver right through into adulthood and to when they might become a parent themselves.”

The relaunch of the programme in Canterbury was supported by New Zealand Police, who directly see the impact of dangerous driving on a daily basis.

Canterbury Road Policing Manager Kelly Larsen spoke with several participants after the recent course. She said their comments were overwhelmingly positive, with both drivers and support people coming away from the day having improved their driving knowledge and skills.

One story from a participant truly emphasised the real-life impact of the programme. Gabby was involved in a serious accident a few weeks ago where a car failed to see her and pulled out, hitting her vehicle and causing it to roll. Her mum says she was incredibly fortunate to walk away uninjured, but understandably very shaken and nervous about getting back behind the wheel.

“We hadn’t heard about the Street-Smart course until our local Policeman contacted us and asked if we would like Gabby to be put forward for the course in Christchurch. To be honest, Gabby’s expectations were quite low, however throughout the day she mentioned several times how good it was.”

“She really enjoyed having young coaches and relevant, real-life driving scenarios. The ABS braking and mechanical components were her favourites. The coaches were fantastic, they connected well with the group and made it both fun and engaging. The mechanical section was especially relevant, as it focused on practical knowledge the students actually need. Gabby even came home and showed her father things he didn’t know.”

“After the course, Gabby drove herself home from Methven. When she arrived, I asked if she was doing anything differently, and she said, ‘I’m so much more careful, I’m looking everywhere for hazards, and I’m less distracted.’”

Impact beyond the training day

“What can be surprising is just how much the parents and guardians learn on the days, it’s not just the young drivers,” says Dickason. “Our most common feedback is that Street Smart should be mandatory for all young drivers when on their learning journey.”

“We get many stories from people after they’ve attended the day that they may have come across a situation in their real world that without the learnings they took from Street Smart could have resulted in a very different outcome,” Dickason says.

“For example, using their emergency braking learnings to avoid a collision. Being able to steer a vehicle whilst engaging the ABS braking system away from a potential collision has been a theme in some feedback.”

How does Street Smart contribute to safer roads nationwide?

With delivery sites across the country, Street Smart aims to contribute meaningfully to improved road safety outcomes.

“Young drivers can often be misunderstood that they are all risky drivers,” Dickason says. “It’s true that some are overconfident of their ability and make bad decisions but it’s also important to recognise that they are new drivers, further emphasising Street Smart’s desire to help them to be as safe and aware as they can be through their learning journey.”

“Our road statistics in relation to young drivers crashes and fatalities are one of the highest in the OECD,” Dickason says. “Our hope is that we can play in part in changing the needle on these statistics.”

Key takeaways

• Street Smart relaunched in Canterbury to boost young driver safety. The programme’s return was intentionally timed with Christchurch’s inaugural Supercars event, using the spotlight on motorsport to highlight the importance of safer driving among young people.
• Street Smart was created because New Zealand lacked hands‑on, cognitive driver training for young drivers. Programme Director Hayden Dickason emphasises that the country’s youth crash statistics are among the worst in the OECD, underscoring the need for practical driver education.
• Participants learn real‑world, life‑saving skills, with young drivers and their caregivers rotating through activities covering hazard awareness, emergency braking, ABS control, and mechanical basics.