The 2025 Traffic Controller Safety Survey reveals a concerning level of abuse, threats, and violence faced by New Zealand’s roading and traffic control workers.
A high proportion of respondents reported threats of physical assault over the past year, and many expressed feelings of being ‘at risk’.
The survey results mark the first trans-Tasman study investigating the experiences and perceptions of traffic controllers, including nearly 700 responses from New Zealand workers.
Alarmingly, New Zealand workers reported feeling less safe and more vulnerable compared to their Australian peers.
“Traffic controllers work to keep people safe on and around road work sites, and their companies invest heavily to manage risk and keep road workers safe. Despite their best efforts, traffic controllers are having to face up to some of the highest risks on the job, including oncoming traffic and abuse,” Civil Contractors New Zealand chief executive Alan Pollard said.
Approximately 30% of traffic controllers feel unsafe in their workplace. Pollard said, “This would not be normal in any other workplace, and it should not be normal in temporary traffic management. It’s something we must address as an industry and as a society.”
Along with the psychological strain of dealing with oncoming traffic, many traffic controllers had been hit by vehicles, with 4.3% reporting such incidents in the past year.
Pollard urged stronger leadership to provide better support for those working on the front lines.
“It’s not acceptable that those who work to keep people safe are subject to violence and abuse. It must stop, and we all need to stand up and support better outcomes for the people that devote their time to safe road work sites.”
He said policy-level support is necessary to implement the survey’s recommendations, including stronger enforcement and penalties, the use of advanced technology, physical protection at road work sites, and a comprehensive public awareness campaign.