Year 12 student Lucy said she joined SADD because she had lost a classmate from her school and others from neighbouring schools to road crashes.
"I knew there needed to be a change," she said.
Krista Harrison, SADD school support officer for the Lower North Island, said there has been far too many teen deaths on our roads -- with 33 15 to 19-year-olds dying over the past 12 months.
As a SADD national leader, Lucy is now the 'go-to' person for safe driving in the Wairarapa, Ms Harrison said.
Wairarapa Road Safety Council projects co-ordinator Holly McGeorge said young drivers need to respect they are driving powerful vehicles.
She also encouraged car buyers to look at safety features first before purchasing.
Ms McGeorge said she encouraged Lucy to apply for the SADD national leader role.
"I'm really proud of Lucy for stepping up," Ms McGeorge said.
After three years of having no SADD leader in Wairarapa, Ms McGeorge stressed that Wairarapa teens need to step up and get involved.
Lucy said her advice to other teens on the road would be to remember "you're not invincible on the roads -- think about the people around you".
Caltex Chapel Street owner Kala Dudson presented Lucy with a certificate for her contribution to SADD.
Caltex is the national programme sponsor for SADD.
