South Canterbury parents and young drivers are invited to a free community event aimed at tackling one of the region’s most pressing road-safety challenges - keeping young drivers safe behind the wheel.

Brought to the region by Timaru District Council, motorsport legend Greg Murphy and neuroscience educator Nathan Wallis, will host the #EYESUPNZ Driving and the Teenage Brain session at Caroline Bay Hall on Wednesday March 18, 2026.

Young drivers remain significantly over-represented in serious crashes across New Zealand. In the five years to 2025 there were 591 fatal crashes and 4,358 serious crashes involving drivers aged 15 to 24, and local data shows for the same period reveals in South Canterbury, young drivers aged 16 to 24 were involved in 11 fatal and 43 serious crashes, with restricted licence drivers around seven times more likely to be involved in a serious crash than other motorists.

The event’s creator, New Zealand fleet safety experts AutoSense, designed the event to give families a clear and practical understanding of what is happening inside the teenage brain and how that affects behaviour behind the wheel.

Wallis says, “Teenagers don’t take risks because they don’t care; they take risks because their brains are still under construction.”

“When parents and young drivers understand how impulse control, peer influence and emotional regulation are still developing, it changes the conversation. This session is about practical strategies and how to work with the teenage brain, not against it.”

Timaru District Council Mayor Nigel Bowen says bringing the event to Timaru is a win for the whole community.

“We are always looking for ways to keep our young drivers safe on our roads, and being able to bring experts like this to Timaru is a real win,” Bowen says. “We’re grateful for the support of NZI and Temuka Group to help make this happen.”

Murphy says that while there has been an encouraging downward trend in deaths among 15- to 24-year-old drivers over the past two years, New Zealand cannot afford complacency.

“The number of young drivers dying on our roads is still far too high,” he says. “As a country, we are responsible for doing much better. We are woefully failing our young people, while also carrying the emotional and social cost of that toll.”

He says distraction, particularly mobile phone use, remains one of the biggest contributors to serious crashes involving young drivers.

“We have a duty to equip young drivers with world-class driver education, and that hasn’t been happening. Phones, GPS, smartwatches and social media are constant temptations. My message to young drivers is simple - when you get in your car to drive anywhere, turn your phone off and leave it in the back seat.”

#EYESUPNZ Driving and the Teenage Brain
Presenters: Greg Murphy and Nathan Wallis 
Who: Young drivers and caregivers
When: Wednesday, March 18, 2026 | 6:30–8:00pm
Where: Caroline Bay Hall, Timaru
Cost: Free
Registration: https://www.eyesupnz.co.nz/young-driver

The session follows another free event at the same venue #EYESUPNZ Driving and the Brain – Fleet and Professional Drivers. This session is designed to bring together the region’s fleet leaders and professional drivers to address fatigue, distraction and decision-making behind the wheel.

Registration to both events via www.eyesupnz.co.nz

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