Wet conditions to make roads treacherous
The AA is reminding all drivers to increase their following distance in the wet as heavy rain is forecast across much of
the country.
The MetService has a heavy rain warning in place for Northland, Auckland, Coromandel Peninsula, western Bay of Plenty,
Nelson, Marlborough, and the Canterbury high country and foothills which will make for poor driving conditions over the
next few days.
AA spokesman Dylan Thomsen says in extreme weather the best advice is always to stay off the road if you can.
"If you have to go out, drivers should check the conditions of the roads on the www.roadwatch.co.nz website before
setting off.”
“Watching your speed and your following distance is even more important in the wet. Your car will take longer to stop on
a wet road so drop back from the normal two second gap to four seconds.”
“If it’s raining or gloomy, use your lights during the day. In torrential rain the best thing you can do is pull over
and wait for it to ease up. If you can’t do that, then at least slow down.”
Motorists should be extremely cautious of trying to drive through any flooded roads, as it can be hard to tell how deep
the water level is. If in doubt, don’t risk it.
The AA’s final piece of advice is to be prepared in case of a breakdown. If you are in remote areas or making a road
trip have some warm clothes, a blanket and a torch in the vehicle, and make sure your cellphone is charged up.
ends