With the year winding down and lots of Kiwis heading away for their summer break, the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) has released a tool to help New Zealanders avoid the worst of Christmas holiday traffic this summer.
With the roads, especially in the North Island set to be busier than normal after Auckland spent over 100 days in lockdown, NZTA is urging Kiwis to plan ahead.
The Holiday Journeys Traffic Prediction tool aims to help drivers plan ahead and minimise delays on the road by showing predicted traffic flows across popular State Highways over the Christmas and New Year period based on previous years' patterns.
NZTA said the tool will not be used for the Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Auckland and Northland regions this festive season, as COVID-19 had made travel times too unpredictable. Real-time traffic updates will instead be posted on NZTA's regional Twitter pages.
Waka Kotahi director of regional relationships Linda Stewart said people should drive to the conditions, allow plenty of time and take regular breaks to stay alert.
"More cars on the road, tired drivers and people driving on unfamiliar roads can make holiday driving stressful and risky," Stewart said.
"We can all take simple actions to stay safe. That means checking your car is safe before your journey, keeping your speed down, driving sober, watching for the signs of fatigue and sharing the driving."
NZTA is predicting the roads to be "particularly busy" this year, especially in the upper North Island from domestic tourism since the Auckland border only opened on December 15.
"We're expecting SH1 northbound and SH1 and SH2 southbound out of Auckland to be particularly busy right from 15 December 2021 when the boundary checkpoints are removed," NZTA says.
"Between 20-25 December 2020 more than 200,000 vehicles left Auckland, with 24 December being the busiest day in that period.
"In previous years the busiest period over the holiday break has been between Christmas and the new year, with over 40,000 vehicles travelling out of the city each day from 26-30 December."
When using the summer holiday traffic prediction tool users can click on the red markers, which signify different popular roads - on a map of New Zealand - and find out the days and times where traffic will be lightest or heaviest.
Waikato, Bay of Plenty Traffic
NZTA said they're expecting traffic volumes in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty to be higher than in previous years.
"We're expecting traffic volumes to be high in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions ... with holiday congestion likely to continue throughout the Christmas and new year period," NZTA says.
"In previous years, holiday congestion in Hamilton has been at its peak on 26 and 27 December with 150,000 vehicles leaving the city between Christmas and New Year's Day."
Taranaki Traffic
Stewart said the roads in the Taranaki region will be "busy" over the festive season, particularly over the New Year period.
"The roads around Taranaki are likely to be busy as we approach Christmas and New Year's, especially on State Highway 3 at Mt Messenger," she said.
"We're predicting traffic to be especially heavy for northbound traffic in the afternoons between 26 December and 5 January 2022, particularly on 2, 3 and 4 January.
"Southbound, there are expected to be some delays around midday on 27, 29 and 30 December and 2 and 3 January."
Tips for safe driving on your summer holiday
Be patient when driving this summer so everyone can relax and enjoy the holidays together.
Keep a safe following distance from vehicles in front so you can stop safely.
Drive to the conditions - whether it's the weather, the road you're on, the time of day or the volume of traffic on the roads.
Take regular breaks to stay alert.
Allow plenty of time. You're on holiday, no need to rush.
Vehicle safety
Your vehicle must be safe to drive before you set off on your summer holiday.
Check that the Warrant of Fitness or Certificate of Fitness is up-to-date on any vehicle you plan to drive, including rentals.
There are basic checks you can do yourself, including:
Tyres - minimum tread is 1.5mm but the more tread, the better the grip.
Lights - check lights work so your vehicle is visible in poor light.
Indicators - ensure all indicators work so people know which direction you are moving.
Windscreen and wipers - check for wear and tear so you can see the road safely.
NZTA is also warning Kiwis who are planning to travel at night during the festive season that they could experience delays due to overnight motorway closures over the Christmas holiday period.
A full list of Auckland overnight motorway closures can be found here.
