Winter may not officially start until the 1st of June, however we’ve already had some cold days to remind us it is on its way.
This is a timely reminder for drivers to take care in winter conditions.
We want every journey for all road users to be a safe one.
Motorists need to make sure they are keeping themselves, their families and other motorists safe.
Speed is always one of the major factors when dealing with incidents on our roads.
Just a few kilometres per hour can make a huge difference between avoiding a collision or a crash with a devastating outcome.
Winter is a good time of year to check our vehicles.
It is very important to have good tyre tread depth, working lights, brakes, de-misters, wiper blades and batteries, when it comes to winter driving.
On frosty mornings take that extra minute to ensure your windscreen is fully defrosted and you can see out all windows and mirrors.
Make sure you have a cloth handy to wipe any condensation off your windscreen.
This will also clean any grime and help in case you get hit with sun-strike.
Make sure your lights are on and people can see you.
As the daylight hours get shorter cars are harder to spot.
You’ll be much more visible to other drivers, pedestrians and cyclists if your lights are on.
Southland weather can change suddenly and without warning.
Drivers should always be alert and look out for areas shaded by things such as hills and trees.
These spots are often where ice and black ice occurs and this may not thaw during the day.
Bridges can also stay slippery longer than other road surfaces so slow down when crossing.
Check your following distances, it only takes a split second for things to go wrong and an extra second can make all the difference.
Police will be out and about checking vehicles and ensuring people are staying safe on our roads this winter.
If you want to report or check current road conditions on the state highway: – call 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49) – check online at www.highwayinfo.govt.nz .