An award for One Tear Too Many

Far North REAP's award-winning road safety team: standing - Janelle Laurence, Jodi Betts, Jodie Adams and Angelene Waitohio, in front Wiremu Britton-Rua and Holli Rudolph. Photo / supplied

Far North REAP's One Tear Too Many educational road safety campaign has won national recognition.

The REAP road safety team was presented with the Safe and Sustainable Transport Association (SASTA) Cedric Rogers Memorial Award at the National SASTA/Waka Kotahi Road Safety Professional Development workshop in Wellington.

The award, presented annually, recognises achievement in the 'safe system' approach to road safety

and/or sustainable transport work, judged on leadership, innovation and achievement.

Far North REAP's nomination included the development and marketing of the One Tear Too Many road safety education campaign, which was developed and implemented in conjunction with the Far North Road Safety Team partners, including the Far North Safer Community Council, Te Rūnanga o Whaingaroa, the Hokianga Health Trust, Moerewa Christian Fellowship, the Ngāti Hine Health Trust and Te Hauora o Ngāpuhi.

The campaign has evolved from from image content on roadside billboards, the back ends (Petricevich school buses and sports team apparel and resources to a video production marketing campaign seen on TVNZ on demand, social and print media, radio advertising and digital platforms.

The award in particular recognised the partnership model that Far North REAP Road Safety had created with other Far North community-based organisations to deliver sustainable and effective grass-roots education to Far North communities.

Angelene Waitohio (Far North REAP Road Safety Manager) accepted the award on behalf of the team, and acknowledged those who had gone before and had set the foundations for such a successful model two decades earlier, in particular (Uncle) Paddy Whiu (police), Tom Baker (Far North District Council), Terry Tepania and Kiri Sloane-Hobson (both Far North REAP).

Waitohio and Jodi Betts were also acknowledged for their long service to road safety education over 16 and 11 years respectively.