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

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