Travel Safe, a safety organization, is urging everyone to be extra careful when driving this holiday season. This message is particularly important for people in Tauranga and the Western Bay who are getting ready for their annual holiday road trips.
Sonia Lynds, the team leader at Travel Safe, highlights that many people will be tired from the past year’s work and activities. It usually takes a few days to rest and recover after finishing work for the year. She warns that many people might reach their holiday destinations feeling exhausted.
She also reminds drivers that roads will be busier than usual during this period. Therefore, she advises everyone to be patient, plan their trips well, maintain a safe distance from the vehicle ahead, and adjust their driving to the weather, road conditions, time of day, and traffic volume.
Before setting off on a trip, she suggests checking if your car is ready for the road. This includes ensuring your Warrant of Fitness (WOF) is up to date, your tires are properly inflated and have sufficient tread, your indicators are working, your wiper fluid is topped up, and your windows, windscreen, and mirrors are clean.
December and January are popular months for festivals in New Zealand. Thousands of people travel to, from, and between various events. Sonia urges everyone to make good decisions during this festive period. This includes always wearing a seatbelt, driving sober, and considering staying an extra night or delaying driving if you’ve had too much to drink or not enough sleep.
For the next three months, Travel Safe will share important safety messages for drivers and cyclists as part of their “We All Want To Get Home Safely” campaign. For more information, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/travelsafebop. Sonia and the team wish everyone a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
