Wet conditions make driving risky after hot weather

Wet weather has created difficult driving conditions around Northland, resulting in several crashes.

Police call it "sustained loss of traction".

I call it "eye opening" after heading to work last Thursday in the rain, and spinning the wheels of my vehicle twice on the way.

Both times were from a standing start, and no I wasn't trying to drag race anyone.
And it wasn't particularly sustained.

I was leaving traffic lights, and got enough of a scare to ease back on the accelerator.

And if anyone read some recent comments I made on window washers, neither was I trying to run one of them over.

Not having driven in the wet for so long, I was caught out by driving to dry conditions in wet weather.

Luckily I came to no harm. That morning, we remarked in the office that police would be on high alert as there would be crashes that day.

This was an observation made partly based on my personal experience that morning, but more so based on the messages experienced traffic police have shared with the public via this newspaper before.

Because after long, hot dry spells, rain can result in slippery road conditions.

Sure enough, there were six crashes across six hours that day.

A week later, more rain, and the chaos ensued.

Four crashes in three hours, and 16 that were easily within a 24-hour period.

Thankfully, there were no fatal accidents.

The message is simple - always take it easy in the rain, and be very careful in wet weather after a hot spell.

A work colleague left for Auckland yesterday afternoon and the "drive carefully" sentiment two of us expressed was underpinned with extra sincerity and concern this time.

The text we got confirming he arrived safely was a good way to end the day.