About the National Road Trauma Centre
The National Road Trauma Centre is the trading name of the Road Traffic Accident Trauma Charitable Trust, a registered New Zealand charitable trust dedicated to reducing the impact of road trauma across prevention, response and recovery.
Guided by safe system principles and a patient-centred care approach, we work to strengthen collaboration, improve coordination and improve outcomes for individuals, whānau, communities and professionals affected by road trauma throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.
Our work is founded on a simple principle:
Every Life Matters.
Our Purpose
Our purpose is to support the reduction of serious road crashes and facilitate a patient centric care model that reduces the socio-economic impact of road crashes in New Zealand.
Public Benefit
The Road Traffic Accident Trauma Charitable Trust, trading as the National Road Trauma Centre (“National Road Trauma Centre”), exists to deliver measurable public benefit by reducing the impact of road trauma across prevention, response, and recovery, and by improving coordination and access to support for those affected by physical and psychological injury.
Every Life Matters. This principle underpins the National Road Trauma Centre’s commitment to supporting individuals, whānau, communities, and professionals affected by road trauma, while working to reduce harm and improve outcomes across the continuum of care.
By strengthening prevention awareness, workforce capability, research translation, and coordinated care pathways, the National Road Trauma Centre contributes to reduced harm and improved long-term recovery outcomes across Aotearoa New Zealand.
Guided by Safe System principles and a patient-centred care approach, this work supports a connected and coordinated system that improves outcomes across communities and recognises the value, dignity and wellbeing of every person affected by road trauma.
Primary Beneficiaries
The National Road Trauma Centre is registered with Charities Services New Zealand and operates exclusively for charitable purposes.
In alignment with the Trust Deed and our Strategic Objectives, the National Road Trauma Centre exists to benefit:
- Individuals directly affected by road crashes, including those experiencing physical injury and/or psychological trauma.
- Families, whānau and significant others of individuals impacted by road crashes.
- Individuals across all modes of road use, including drivers, passengers, pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users.
- Communities across Aotearoa New Zealand through strengthened road safety awareness, prevention initiatives and coordinated recovery support.
- Health, emergency response, transport and primary care professionals through education, training and resources that improve road safety, prevention, response and recovery outcomes.
- The wider New Zealand public through improved road safety understanding, research translation and system coordination that contributes to reducing the impact of road trauma.
The activities of the National Road Trauma Centre are limited to New Zealand in accordance with the Trust Deed. Subordinate to its charitable purposes, the National Road Trauma Centre may advocate for improved road safety, prevention and support relating to road crash associated injury and trauma.
Our Approach
The National Road Trauma Centre is committed to strengthening collaboration, supporting evidence-informed decision-making, and contributing to improved outcomes across road trauma prevention, emergency response, healthcare, rehabilitation and recovery.
Road trauma is a complex public health and societal challenge that no single organisation can prevent or address alone. Improving outcomes requires collaboration across the road safety, emergency response, healthcare, rehabilitation, government, academic, community and non-government sectors.
The National Road Trauma Centre recognises the importance of bringing together organisations, expertise, research, education and lived experience to strengthen collaboration and contribute to better prevention, response, recovery and wellbeing.
Our approach is guided by Safe System principles and informed by our Patient-Centred Care Model, supporting a connected and coordinated response across prevention, emergency response and recovery.
We believe lasting improvements are achieved through strategic partnerships, shared knowledge and coordinated action. By working alongside government agencies, healthcare providers, emergency services, researchers, community organisations and people with lived experience, we seek to strengthen collaboration, improve system capability and create opportunities that improve outcomes for people affected by road trauma.
The National Road Trauma Centre does not seek to replace the important work undertaken by existing organisations. Rather, our role is to connect people, share knowledge, encourage collaboration and support continuous improvement across the road trauma system.
Our Values
Our values guide how we work, how we collaborate and how we serve the communities of Aotearoa New Zealand. They underpin our governance, decision-making and commitment to improving outcomes for people affected by road trauma.
Our six core values are:
- People (Manaakitanga)
- Integrity (Tika and Pono)
- Collaboration (Kotahitanga)
- Leadership (Rangatiratanga)
- Influence (Mātauranga)
To learn more about our values and what they mean in practice, please visit our Our Values page.
2010
We were founded in provide counselling, advocacy and advice to assist those that have been affected by road traffic accident related trauma which is largely an unmet need in the community. We were initially founded to provide a service for those that do not meet criteria for counselling support under the Accident Compensation Act. This is the first Charitable Trust of its kind in New Zealand.
2012
We were fortunate to form a partnership with the Canterbury Charity Hospital Trust. Through our partnership, we are able to provide meaningful services to our community, this includes our free counselling services.
2016
We developed the concept of New Zealand’s first Road Accident Remembrance Day. This is a large public event to acknowledge those in our community impacted by road trauma and focus on road safety.
2017
We expanded so significantly the Canterbury Charity Hospital Trust donated an office space to the Trust, in their Warner Mauger House.
It was with great privilege the Trust founded the Canterbury Road Trauma Awards were formed in conjunction with the Road Accident Remembrance Day.
2020
We feel very privileged to celebrate our tenth anniversary as a Charitable Trust. We are pleased to have launched our new brand, vision and five year Strategic Plan which is incorporated into our Trust Deed.
The Trust is now formally known as the Road Traffic Accident Trauma Charitable Trust trading as the National Road Trauma Centre.
2021
We are on the right path. As we turn to 2021, we will continue to work collaboratively with those within the sector and utilise our expertise to deliver on our commitments to provide for our community.
Being a charitable organisation, it is important we focus on ensuring we enhance our funding streams but also being prudent we place strong emphasis to ensure that our services are in alignment with the operating margin for the outlay of the services provided.
To help us achieve maximum performance over the next several years, we will continue to use a distinct operating model with annual growth of our geographic presence nationally.