Mrs Wilson got the bug while doing a social studies unit on transportation.
She joined the North Otago Road Safety Committee while still at school and was the first female on the committee.
The male members were much older and she recalled it being daunting.
Now in her 40s and a mother of three children, Mrs Wilson is still involved with the organisation, now known as Waitaki Road Safe.
Waitaki Road Safe is celebrating its 50th anniversary this weekend with a dinner at the Kingsgate Hotel Brydone tonight and a service of remembrance at St Lukes Church tomorrow.
There are no surviving foundation members.
Dick Behrent, who will make a speech at the dinner about the early years, joined in 1959.
There are about 14 current members and about 38 people will attend the celebrations, said Mrs Wilson, who is vice-president.
The name was changed from the North Otago Road Safety Committee to the North Otago Road Safety Council in the early 1990s, and then to Waitaki Road Safe in 2003.
The group was made up of representatives of various organisations and agencies, including police, fire, St John and the Automobile Association.
The group recently organised a cycle safety day attended by 73 children, ran fatigue stops over holiday weekends to reduce fatigue-related accidents and distributed ice-scrapers for winter driving.
The next project involves producing frisbees with the Catch the Eye of the Driver slogan on them, the brainchild of secretary Kathy Holyoake's daughter Georgia.
The next generation is showing an interest in road-safety with both Georgia and Mrs Wilson's son Samuel keen to join Waitaki Road Safe.
