2025 Traffic Controller Safety Survey Launch
The 2025 Traffic Controller Safety Survey has been launched through a joint initiative between the Traffic Management Association of Australia (TMAA) and New Zealand’s Temporary Traffic Management Industry Steering Group (TTM-ISG). The survey provides the most comprehensive insight to date into the safety and wellbeing of traffic controllers across both countries, revealing some concerning findings.
More than 1,600 traffic controllers took part in this year’s survey, including nearly 700 from across New Zealand. The data paints a stark picture of what many in the industry already know too well: the people who stand on our roads to keep us safe are too often the targets of aggression, abuse, and unnecessary risk.
These are the workers who make it possible for crews to repair roads, build cycleways, upgrade motorways, and respond to emergencies. They face fast-moving traffic, unpredictable drivers, and sometimes even physical assault — all while ensuring the rest of us can move safely through construction zones. It’s a job that demands patience, vigilance and courage.
But the survey findings confirm what has long been whispered at worksites around the country: our traffic controllers are not being respected and not being protected enough. Reports of verbal and physical abuse, near misses and dangerous driver behaviour are alarmingly common.
This comes at a time of significant transformation in New Zealand’s temporary traffic management sector. The new, more risk-based approach aims to make road management smarter and more adaptable — moving away from rigid, prescriptive rules toward tailored, site-specific solutions. The intent is sound. But to make this transition work, we must fully understand the current conditions our traffic controllers face.
That’s why this survey matters. It doesn’t just highlight the risks — it provides the evidence needed to drive change. The data shows that while road users make up the majority of deaths and serious injuries at worksites, the safety and wellbeing of the workers managing these spaces cannot be overlooked.
As the Hon. Emily Burke, Australia’s Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, noted at the launch, protecting those who protect road users must be a shared responsibility.
At the event, Sam Loprete, TMAA’s 2024 National Traffic Controller of the Year, spoke about the realities of life on the road — the long hours, the unpredictability, and the hope that every shift ends without incident. His words echoed a simple truth: behind every set of road cones stands a person doing their best to keep others safe.
New Zealand’s approach to temporary traffic management is evolving, and with that comes a chance to enhance how we protect and value our traffic controllers. Stronger safeguards, consistent standards, and public awareness are key to safer outcomes for both workers and road users.
A little patience on the road can make a big difference — helping everyone return home safely at the end of the day.
Download a copy of the 2025 Traffic Controller Safety Survey.