It seems it’s busier than ever out there on our roads this year. And it’s going to get more chaotic as we head into the peak Christmas period.
My advice is to take your time out on the road these holidays. Be aware of what’s happening around you and give other road users the respect they deserve.
Don’t think that accelerating hard up to that car in front in the traffic is going to help you get where you’re going any quicker because it just won’t.
All it does is create that stop-start traffic that causes everyone’s journey to take longer.
It’s about being aware. Every time I’m in traffic on the Auckland motorway, I try to see how often I can avoid having to stop in the jam. It’s pretty easy.
Keep a decent gap to the car in front, look ahead to see what the traffic is doing and slow gradually to maintain the flow.
I look around and see those people accelerating alongside me only to then have to brake hard as the traffic ahead slows.
They are only looking at the car in front, and at the last second they suddenly have to brake. This is why we have so many nose to tail incidents on the motorway.
Distraction is a part of it but people only watch the car in front rather than looking further ahead to see what’s happening.
If we could change people’s mindsets about this, the motorways would start flowing more efficiently. If everyone gave themselves a gap to the car in front, and looked ahead to see what’s happening, we’d all be better off.
There’d be fewer crashes, less stress, less time lost, it would be fantastic. It’s funny, when you start doing it, those around you do it too.
It’s a challenge for all drivers this year; by changing your own habits, let’s see if we can help create a decent flow on roads this Christmas.
There are problems with merging too. You’ve got those who stop in the merging lane, waiting for a gap, while others want to speed up and get one car ahead in the line.
Both of them cause the traffic flow to stop. If everyone gave each other some space and then just slotted in, we’d all be better off.
But people don’t understand the concept and so we have these lines of traffic, stopping and restarting.
It’s about respect. Other countries do it better while here we have this strange ego thing about not letting people in.
If everyone took a breath, backed off slightly to create the gap, it wouldn’t be an issue. Again it’s about looking ahead, being aware and paying attention.
That thing at the top of your windscreen, and the things on either side of the car are called mirrors. They help you see what’s going on behind and around you. More people need to use them.
Especially those who choose to drive at speeds that hold up other road users. These people are generating rows of frustrated drivers who are being dictated to by someone who chooses to drive at 70km/h on a perfectly good stretch of 100km/h highway.
It creates angst and aggression because someone is ignorant to what’s going on. Everyone needs to play their part at this busy time of the year. If you want to drive at 80km/h in perfectly good conditions, you need to have respect for other, more capable road users.
Look in your mirrors, pull over and let them pass. It’s not your job to dictate to others what you think is safe. It’s about trying to get everyone to work together and to play their part.
Don’t be the cause of a crash even if you’re not involved in it.
Also, make sure your car is safe. Take time to check the tyres, for instance, as the condition of your vehicle can have an effect on outcomes when it all goes wrong.
We all make mistakes, so we should always be prepared to react to someone else’s poor decision or error in judgment. This is why paying attention 100 per cent of the time is so important.
We all think we are perfect drivers but we all have room to improve.
Driving safely is not about going slowly but rather being aware of what’s happening around you and having respect for other road users.
And this Christmas, take up the challenge to keep the flow going. We’ll all be better for it.
This article first appeared in the December/January 2023 issue of NZ Autocar magazine.
