Plan ahead for a safe and stress-free Labour Weekend on the road

Motorists intending to go away for Labour Weekend are encouraged to plan ahead to stay safe and avoid delays on congested motorways.

The NZ Transport Agency has developed a tool that shows predicted traffic flow across popular journeys based on travel patterns from previous years. It can be found at www.nzta.govt.nz/holidayjourneys

“Holiday weekends are always busy across Auckland and the Northland so congestion and delays are inevitable in peak times. But if everyone leaves plenty of time for their journey, drives to the conditions and plans ahead before leaving home, the worst of the frustrations can be eased and everyone can concentrate on arriving safely,” says the NZ Transport Agency’s Auckland Operations Manager, Rua Pani.

“Look for an alternative route or consider leaving when the traffic is lighter, either early in the morning or later in the day.”

Because predicted peak times can change based on incidents, weather and even driver behaviour we suggest that you check https://www.nzta.govt.nz/traffic-and-travel-information/ before you leave for accurate information about current road and traffic conditions.

The holiday journeys site shows the busiest time heading north from Auckland is on Friday between 1pm and 8pm. But historically, traffic is free flowing on Saturday morning if you leave before 8am. Coming home on Monday, expect the most traffic between 10am and 6pm.

Heading south out of Auckland, the heaviest traffic is between 11:30 and 7pm on Friday. Leaving on Saturday morning before 9:30am could be a less busy option. Coming back, the motorway into Auckland is busiest on Monday between 11:30 and 5:30pm.

If you are heading east towards Coromandel, the busiest times on SH2 are from 11:30 to 8pm on Friday. Coming back on Monday, it’s busiest from Midday to 9pm.

When driving this Labour Weekend, take care to

· 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.

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