The first piece of advice was to allow extra time when travelling from point A to point B. Poor weather conditions can restrict visibility and impact the quality of the roads, making vehicles more prone to skidding; things that slow drivers down and increase travel time.
For this reason, police encourage people to “allow extra time” when driving in winter.
2. Ensure your vehicle is safe for winter driving
Your car may be good to go for summer roads but winter is a different story.
Good tyre tread depth, strong lights, powerful brakes and other features like demisters and batteries are always necessary but they become “doubly important for winter driving” according to the New Zealand Transport Authority.
Travellers hitting a ski field or mountain may need tyre chains to access mountain roads.
3. Drive to the road and weather conditions
It seems obvious but the way you drive on a clear, sunny day and well-paved road should be different to how you drive if it’s snowing, raining, foggy or on a metal road.
However, it’s easy to maintain the same speed and following distance you’re used to. For this reason, the Police remind drivers to pay attention to the condition of the road and the weather.
4. Slow down and be prepared for unexpected hazards
As mentioned, poor visibility and challenging conditions can make for unexpected hazards. By driving a little slower, you’re in the best position to be able to stop or avoid hazards.
5. Increase following distances
Rain, snow and ice make it challenging to stop as quick as you can on a dry, warm road. For this reason, the police advise travellers to “allow greater following distance between you and the vehicle ahead”. If the vehicle in front comes to a sudden stop or slows down, you have a little more time to react.
The post ended with a prompt for travellers “check weather, travel conditions and traffic information on our highways before you set off”.
Hundreds of people ‘liked’ the post and a dozen added their own tips for navigating Aotearoa’s roads.
Several people drew attention to the importance of driving with the car’s headlights on.
“Head lights during the day should be mandatory” wrote one person. “Turn your frick’n lights on” another added.
One woman said people should be prepared to get stuck on the roads.
“have supplies in your car, a sleeping bag, water, snacks etc, so if it’s safer to stay put for a bit or you get stuck somewhere you can bunk down and not risk driving in terrible conditions,” she suggested.
“I’d recommend carrying a hi visibility vest or two in your boot,” one man commented.
Another person pointed out it wasn’t enough to have tyre chains, they also needed to fit the person’s vehicle and they should know how to put them on.
