Maxwell was elected the first youth representative on the national SADD board of trustees in 2019 and developed SADD’s Māori advisory group and Māori Engagement Strategy.
She also conducted a large study into driver licence breaches, which she presented to NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi and the Ministry of Transport.
In 2022, Maxwell won the inaugural Yellow Ribbon Road Safety Alliance Hero Award.
“I think that award was nice in the way that it gave more recognition to the issues that we need to focus on, and also the support from the different groups to help me even get to that point where I was being given an award.”
Maxwell said the importance of being safe on the road was brought home to her after she joined SADD.
“I lost a few friends and whānau in car accidents. Seeing the people closest to them after the accidents made me more motivated because I wished they never had to experience that pain in the first place.”
After finishing school, she shifted to Wellington and is studying conjoined Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Arts degrees.
She wants to continue working in the community after she graduates.
“I think any job that I take up after I finish off university is going to be an extension of what I was already doing – a position where I’m able to be in the community or help the community.”
SADD began in New Zealand 40 years ago and is supported by the Automobile Association.
“Over four decades, SADD its evolved beyond its original focus on drink driving to tackle a wider range of harmful behaviours – from speeding and not wearing seatbelts to the new raft of distractions that come with technology and social media,” a press release said.
Maxwell said it was vital that rangatahi took responsibility for safety on the roads.
“We’re the ones now getting in the cars and learning how to drive.”
It was important to wear seatbelts, not drink and drive, slow down and not break conditions of learner or restricted licences.
“Drinking and driving [for those under 20 years old] is a no-go, 100%, not only by the law, but ... morally, it’s a bad decision to make.
“A lot of our students, a lot of our young people in Gisborne are from the rural areas, and we grow up with this different experience of being able to learn younger how to drive just because you’re helping out the whānau with, like, farm work. You learn how to drive tractors or quad bikes.”
Youth might think this meant they had a lot of road experience, but this was not the case, she said.
“We’re still only starting off and it’s still a silly decision to be making to have a drink and then get in the car.”
“Essentially ... all we’re asking is for people to educate themselves or educate the people around them, their family around them, their friends around them to make sure that they are doing what they can to ensure that they get home safely.”
