• Ashburton College recognised by Bridgestone for outstanding commitment to youth road safety education through long-term participation in the RYDA programme.
• RYDA continues to be a successful workshop to empower young drivers and passengers to make safer decisions on the roads. 
• Bridgestone's ongoing support of the RYDA programme and the Supporting Excellence in Road Safety Education award are demonstrations of the Bridgestone E8 Commitment.

ASHBURTON, New Zealand (27 June, 2022) – Ashburton College has been recognised for its outstanding contribution towards road safety by receiving the Bridgestone Supporting Excellence in Road Safety Education award, which was today presented at their annual RYDA programme day.

The Bridgestone Supporting Excellence in Road Safety Education award recognises and celebrates schools that put an emphasis on incorporating the RYDA road safety education programme into their annual activity and demonstrate a commitment to driving road safety throughout the year with students.

Ashburton College places road safety as one of the pillars of its commitment to their Mission Statement: Individual Excellence in a Supportive Learning Environment, with a commitment of more than 1000 students taking part in the Road Safety Education Ltd run RYDA programme since 2018.

Beyond their outstanding commitment to RYDA, Ashburton College has integrated road safety into the general curriculum and has dedicated staff members teaching road safety to students.

"As a school we are passionate about including road safety skills into our curriculum as our students make up a significant proportion of the drivers in our local community, " said Head of Senior school at Ashburton College Abby Bruce.

"A large number of our senior students drive to and from school and we want to equip our young people with as many tools and strategies as possible to keep them safe.  The practical realism of the RYDA programme's workshops and demonstrations challenges young people's awareness of safety aspects and potential hazards, how to avoid the horrors of irreversible risks, and the need to be responsible behind the wheel, including as a passenger.

"As an external provider, RYDA adds meaningful value through their well-constructed, self-discovery programme. At College we remain genuinely appreciative of this quality, worthwhile opportunity for our students. It is an important event in the calendar for our Year 12 students," she added.    

According to Road Safety Education's General Manager for New Zealand, Maria Lovelock, Ashburton College's ongoing support of RYDA is just one of the ways the school is showcasing road safety within its cohort.

"A core pillar of the RYDA programme is educating and empowering young drivers, soon to be drivers and passengers to make smart decisions on the road so that others survive," Ms Lovelock explained.

"We're thrilled that Ashburton College places such a significance on arming their students with the knowledge and strategies to identify potentially unsafe behaviours on the road and empowering them to speak up and drive positive outcomes."

Road Safety Education provides nearly 400 RYDA workshop days per year, reaching in excess of 685,000 students from more than 650 schools across Australia and New Zealand since its inception.

As part of the RYDA programme, students take part in a workshop which features a series of sessions led by expert facilitators who address laws, distractions, risk management, social resilience, speed & stopping, peripheral vision, and other critical road safety topics.

Bridgestone has proudly supported RYDA since 2016, with the programme forming one of its core partnerships within the company's global Bridgestone E8 Commitment.

The Bridgestone E8 Commitment is how the company will realise its long-term, 2050 vision of providing social and customer value as a sustainable solutions company through the values of: energy, ecology, efficiency, extension, economy, emotion, ease and empowerment.

"The RYDA programme sets the benchmark for education and empowerment in road safety, and that's why Bridgestone passionately supports this initiative," explained Bridgestone's Director of New Zealand Business, John Staples.

"Alongside the providers of RYDA, Road Safety Education Ltd, we believe it's important to recognise those who place as much importance on education and empowerment in this area as us, and we're delighted to recognise Ashburton College's incredible contribution to road safety through education."

Within the Bridgestone E8 Commitment, the company's ongoing support of the RYDA programme is driven by the values of empowerment, the commitment to contributing to a society that ensures accessibility and dignity for all, ease, bringing comfort and peace of mind to mobility, and extension, the commitment to nonstop mobility and innovation.

"Bridgestone places a significant emphasis on fostering safer roads as part of our global long-term vision of being a sustainable solutions provider, and on a local level, RYDA is helping us realise that vision through delivering effective education to the next generation of road users," Mr Staples added.

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