The former Queen’s High School and now University of Otago student founded a Students Against Dangerous Driving (SADD) Kaitiaki o Ara group while at high school and went on to become a SADD national leader in 2023-24.
She remains a deputy board representative and has conducted research into how young people form and break habits — such as the compulsion to check their phones while driving.
This year, SADD is marking 40 years since its mission began to empower young people to make safer choices on New Zealand roads, with the ongoing support of the Automobile Association (AA).
"Becoming a SADD national leader gave me the opportunity to take on the research project, which was prompted by the crash my friend got into through picking up her phone at a red light," Miss Adie said.
"It was purely out of habit that she picked up her phone, she didn’t even think about it.
"Fortunately no-one was seriously hurt in the accident, but the fallout from that habit was significant and she ended up quite scarred from it."
Through her wide-ranging research project into the formation of habits, including neuroscience, Miss Adie wrote an in-depth report, which was presented at this year’s AA international conference.
"One of the most important realisations I came to was that if you are not intentionally forming good habits, you easily develop bad ones — people don’t even realise they are doing it," she said.
The AA Research Foundation’s recent survey of 1000 young New Zealand drivers revealed that almost a quarter of young drivers said they had scrolled through social media while driving, one in five confessed to driving without a seatbelt, and two-thirds admitted to speeding in a 50kmh zone.
Miss Adie’s research also helped contribute to ACC’s latest driver safety campaign, which urges drivers to "ghost" [ignore] their mates to stay safe at the wheel.
She was keen to use her findings to help develop a strategy to effectively reach 16 to 24-year-olds regarding long-term habit formation.
For Miss Adie, who was studying biomedical sciences and law at the University of Otago, being part of SADD and stepping up into its national leadership team had been a "really cool" experience.
"Working alongside people who are passionate about the same thing and who have the same goals has been great.
"And getting to meet with community partners such as police, and developing my communication skills has been excellent as well — they are great life skills to have," she said.
Over four decades, SADD has 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.
SADD general manager Donna Govorko said the organisation was "incredibly proud to celebrate 40 years in Aotearoa and everything our young leaders have achieved across generations".
"As the needs of rangatahi have evolved over time, so have we — intentionally moving away from the fearmongering tactics of the early days and instead showing the power of peer-to-peer education and empowerment," she said.
"The support from the AA and NZTA [NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi] has been instrumental in enabling us to continue our mahi amidst tightening public funding streams and the new challenges our rangatahi are facing on the road.
"When it comes to young people on the road, whether they’re behind the wheel, cycling or even just walking, there are risks that will never completely go away," she said.
AA chief policy and advocacy officer Simon Douglas said the partnership with SADD was an essential part of its work.
"It’s inspiring to see how SADD has grown into such a strong youth voice and created opportunities for young drivers to lead the road safety conversation with their peers.
"We’re proud to have travelled alongside them for nearly four decades."
