Liz Dobson - Don’t be a bunny this Easter

With the combination of school holidays, daylight savings ending and the Easter break, our roads in April are going to be busier than usual.
April also means a cooling of temperatures around New Zealand and a change in season means a change in driving styles.

Here are my tips on coping with Easter road trips and cooler conditions on our roads:


Easter trips
Before you leave home:

• A week before your trip, book your vehicles for a check up by your mechanic - you don’t want to break down on the side of the road an hour away from nowhere!
• If towing a caravan or trailer make sure it has a Warrant of Fitness.
• Check your tyres conditions and pressure the day before you head off.
• Clean the windscreen and fill windscreen washer reservoir.
• Plan your journey – check roadwatch.co.nz and try to avoid travelling at peak times. Don’t drive during the hours when you would normally be sleeping. For most people, this will be between 10pm and 6 am.
• If travelling with young kids, pack plenty of snacks and water for them.
• If you already don’t have a handsfree set, consider investing so you don’t use your cellphone when driving – you don’t want a police fine to add to your holiday expenses.
• Get a good night’s sleep before your trip – don’t start the journey already tired.

On the road:

• If you are towing or travelling slower than other traffic, pull over and allow them to pass.
• Take regular breaks, more if travelling with children and share the driving.
• When taking long trips, plan your journey to include rest breaks.
• Ensure you get plenty of fresh air.
• Snack on light, fresh foods. Avoid consuming fatty, sugary or carbohydrate-filled foods, which can make you feel tired.
• Don’t rush and enjoy your drive and journey.

Driver fatigue:
If you have a long journey, then it’s good to know what the signs of fatigue are, as your reactions are slower if you’re tired.
So either swap drivers or have a rest if you suffer from the following:

• Trouble focusing, keeping your eyes open or holding your head up.
• Daydreaming, having wandering or disconnected thoughts, loss of memory.
• Yawning or rubbing your eyes repeatedly.
• Drifting from your lane, tailgating and missing signs or exits
• Are feeling restless and irritable.

Autumn driving:
With daylight savings finished, it will get darker earlier so first to-do is clean your vehicle’s lights.

After a summer of driving on dusty road, they won’t be as clean as they should be and they will be working harder and longer in the months to come.
Just a wash with a clean cloth and warm, soapy water should do the trick – and while you are there, give your windows a good clean too.

It’s also time to check your wiper blades as they too will have more work to do. Examine the rubber on the blades - it should be flexible, not missing any clunks and clear the glass without leaving any streaks. If needs be, replace the blades.

Your brakes and tyres also need some attention in autumn, as they’ll be coping with tougher conditions. So check the tread on the tyres and if you’ve noticed your braking isn’t effective as usually, head to your mechanic.

On the road, be carefully during the first downpours of autumn as water pools on dust and oil that hasn’t had a chance to wash away – making the roads slippery.

Once trees start losing their leaves, our roads can become slippery so be carefully as driving over wet foliage can cause you to skid. Leaves also cover roads marking and pot holes, so be extra cautious.