Motorists planning a festive holiday trip in the Waikato or Bay of Plenty are urged to plan ahead, drive with care and be aware of construction sites on state highways on their travels.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency work sites will close from 23 December to 5 January to leave the roads clear for holiday traffic, but there may still be temporary speed limits and road cones at some work sites or where there has been recent road resurfacing.
“Traffic management, such as temporary speed limits, signs and cones, is used to alert road users to a change in the road or to works ahead, so look out for the signs and take care in the run up to Christmas and during the holiday period,” says Waka Kotahi Director of Regional Relationships Steve Mutton.
“It’s particularly important that motorists remain patient and don’t try to overtake while our crews set up and take down traffic management signs and cones. When motorists disregard the traffic management, they put their safety, that of other road users and our road workers at risk.
“Speeding through work sites is a significant problem. Speeding vehicles can flick up loose metal and other objects which are a danger to road workers and other road users. Motorists also have less control at higher speeds. They may clip road cones and send them flying at our road workers or oncoming traffic or lose control completely.
“There will be some holiday congestion and delays, and we all need to factor that into our plans. Trying to ‘make up lost time’ by speeding and unsafe overtaking puts everyone using the road at risk. Speed is a factor in every crash. Even when it isn’t the direct cause, it can be the difference between someone walking away unharmed or being seriously injured or even killed. For everyone’s safety, please slow down.”
Improving safety on New Zealand roads is a top priority for Waka Kotahi. We are committed to Vision Zero, which aspires to a New Zealand where no-one is killed or seriously injured on our roads.
With fewer people travelling overseas because of COVID-19 this year, the Christmas-New Year holiday period is expected to be a very busy time on Waikato and Bay of Plenty roads. Work sites to look out for include:
Waikato
Bay of Plenty
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