Central Otago police are advising drivers to take the usual winter care this weekend, when there are likely to be more vehicles on the roads for the Matariki holiday weekend.

Alexandra Acting Sergeant Graham Perkins said this weekend would compare with winter driving in general.

“With the low-lying fog we have recently had in the mornings, people need to look at the road conditions and the roadworthiness of their vehicles,” he said.

“Make sure your tyres are in good condition, and especially check your headlights and tail lights. Take a walk around your car and check all lights are functioning.”

He advised to use headlights on dip rather than full-beam when driving in fog as the vision would be better, and to slow down so you could stop in time of what you could see.

Most modern cars would turn the headlights on automatically if conditions were dark enough, but lights were needed in fog for everyone to ensure you were visible to others.

“Older cars, if it’s dark and most of the other cars have their lights on, you probably need yours on too,” Graham said.

With people probably travelling further afield for the long weekend, drivers needed to plan accordingly, he said.

“Leave plenty of time to get home, as there’s a bit of roadworks around, and lots of red cones.”

His final advice was to drive to the speed limit, even when taking a shortcut.

“The police will be out and about, especially in places like Earnscleugh Road where people tend to speed up.” 

Stay safe this Matariki weekend check the Roads on The Central App.