Snow on the summit at Te Haroto, on the Napier-Taupo Rd in Hawke's Bay. Photo/Duncan Brown
If you are thinking of heading out onto the snowy and icy roads, try to avoid getting in your car. If you have to, drive slowly and carefully, says the Automobile Association.
AA tips for driving in poor, wintry conditions are:
Check your route is free from slips and closures.
Don't
rush - slow down and allow plenty of time to reach your destination.
Ensure your car is roadworthy and keep at least half a tank of fuel in your vehicle in case you get diverted onto another route or you are forced to turn back.
Be prepared for snow and carry tyre chains that you know how to fit and use.
Go back to basics - mirror and blind spot checks, indicating three seconds ahead of turning and leaving a four-second following distance.
Drive defensively - scan the road 12 seconds ahead of you and ensure you can smoothly stop in the distance you can see.
Ensure you can see and be seen - use your headlights correctly.
AA Driving School general manager Roger Venn says icy, slippery road conditions coupled with poor visibility tend to cause a spike in crashes.
"In poor conditions like these maintaining control of your vehicle is most important and much of that comes down to going back to the basics of driving," says Venn.
"There is an increased chance that other drivers may make mistakes on the road, so it's about keeping that in the front of your mind and adjusting your own driving accordingly," he says.
