There's nothing worse than packing up the car, all ready for a summer holiday out of the city, and then hitting gridlock traffic as the hot sun beams down.
In an effort to highlight the best and worst time to travel, the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) is advising Kiwis keep track of its holiday journey planner. This weekend will be especially busy as motorists head away after work and before Christmas next week.
For Aucklanders heading south out of the city, NZTA says traffic will be the heaviest between 12pm and 7pm on Friday, December 20. It will also be heavy between 10am and 5pm on Saturday.
Holiday-makers going north from Auckland this weekend should expect the worst traffic between 12pm and 7pm on Friday and 11am and 3pm on Saturday. Sunday will also be busy with heavy traffic between 10am and 4pm.
NZTA's Northland system manager Jacqui Hori-Hoult said there will be temporary speed limits on State Highway 1 heading towards Northland, although construction crews won't be working over the Christmas break.
"Road works cease from midday on Thursday 19 December and start again on Monday 6 January. Temporary speed restrictions will remain in place due to the narrower lanes, road cones and barriers throughout our worksites," Hori-Hoult said.
The sections of road affected by reduced speeds include State Highway 1 Puhoi to Warkworth after the Johnstone Hills tunnel, north of Warkworth, and State Highway 1 Loop Rd.
"We want everyone to arrive safely at their destinations. We're making the roads better and safer for everyone, but we need motorists to plan ahead and allow extra time for their journeys," Hori-Hoult said.
If you're heading north from Wellington on State Highway 1 on the Kapiti Coast between Peka Peka and Otaki, expect bad traffic for most of the upcoming weekend. The State Highway 2 route over the Remutaka Hill between Wellington and Featherston will be less busy.
For people travelling out of Christchurch, the heaviest traffic will be heading north on State Highway 1 between 10am and 11:30am on Saturday and Sunday.
NZTA advises motorists check its website before leaving their homes as crashes, weather and driver behaviour can affect traffic levels. The full holiday traffic planner can be found here.
When driving this summer, NZTA says motorists should:
- Drive to the conditions, whether it's the weather, the time of day or amount of traffic
- Take regular breaks to stay alert and ensure fatigue doesn't affect your driving
- Keep a safe following distance from vehicles in front so you can stop safely
- Be patient - overtaking is unlikely to make a significant difference to your journey time due to the amount of traffic expected over the weekend.
- Allow plenty of time, remember you are on holiday and avoid the need to rush
- Check your car is in good "health" before you head off.
