Safe With Age

Archived: The Safe With Age education programme for senior drivers has been partially replaced by new programmes.

> LINK to our Senior Driver Education information.

ARCHIVE:

Read the Government's rationale and what we're saying

Letter received by Safe With Age providers from the New Zealand Transport Agency, dated 27 August 2009:

"This letter is to advise that regrettably the Safe with Age programme will cease to be funded by the NZ Transport Agency from 31 August 2009. [our emphasis]

I can assure you that this decision was not taken lightly. The NZ Transport Agency’s primary investment focus for the ‘demand management and community programmes activity class' in 2009/10 is on programmes that significantly deliver on the road safety to 2010 strategy, or achieve a change in travel behaviour that will reduce severe congestion in major urban areas.

In addition, for this activity class the NZ Transport Agency received significantly more funding applications than in the previous year. This, together with the funding available as specified by the Government Policy Statement for Land Transport Funding, and our targeted investment focus for this year, means a reduction on last year’s funding level.

There is a planned review of the demand management and community programme activity class led by the NZ Transport Agency with support from the Ministry of Transport, which will ensure that the government is getting good value for the investment it makes in these programmes. This will include undertaking a full realignment with the new 2020 road safety strategy to be released in December 2009.

Through the review, the NZ Transport Agency and the Ministry will develop clear guidelines for future funding applications on what demand management and community programmes our funding will be targeted at.

A Safe with Age partial funding model was investigated by the NZ Transport Agency but considered unviable, largely due to the relatively small number of drivers that would be reached through a reduced programme. The NZ Transport Agency is still committed to safety for older drivers and we plan to look at alternative older driver education approaches with the plan to pilot a new approach in 2010-2011. We will be looking for a cost-efficient programme to reach a greater proportion of our targeted audience.

To ensure there is no confusion all current Safe with Age resources will no longer be available to order and you must not distribute any more subsidy vouchers. We will honour all Safe with Age coaching and assessment subsidy vouchers (which have a six-month use-by date from courses delivered up to 28 August 2009) until a final date of 1st March 2010.

As you are aware we currently have no contractual obligations with providers. We are aware several groups have continued to run courses with the risk that if the National Land Transport Programme funding was not approved they would not be reimbursed from NZTA.

However, in light of this delayed announcement, we have decided to honour all courses delivered during July and August 2009 on the condition we receive all required course/s paperwork and receipt of a tax certified invoice. To be eligible for payment please send the above by 18 September 2009.

Providers may want to fund and run their own type of course based on the Safe with Age content but will not be able to call the course Safe with Age or receive any funding from NZTA for these courses. [our emphasis]

Please advise all staff involved with Safe with Age in your organisation of the above information. Please contact me directly if you have any queries regarding the decision to discontinue the Safe with Age course.

We wish to thank you and your team for delivering the Safe with Age programme.

Your dedication and support has helped improve mature drivers’ road safety awareness and increased their confidence and skills to continue to drive safely."

[signed by New Zealand Transport Agency official]