Avoid Waitangi Day weekend traffic jams with Waka Kotahi’s on-line prediction tool

Kiwis are expected to hit the roads in record numbers for the long Waitangi Day weekend, and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has updated our popular on-line Holiday Journeys traffic prediction tool to help everyone plan ahead and minimise delays. The tool shows predicted traffic flow across popular journeys over the long weekend, based on previous year’s travel patterns.

On-line Holiday Journeys traffic prediction tool(external link)

“Holiday traffic is predicted to be particularly busy this long weekend, with Kiwis continuing to exploring our own backyard in record numbers. That means the roads to and from our popular holiday spots are likely to be very busy this weekend, as they were during the Christmas/New Year holidays,” says Waka Kotahi Senior Journey Manager Neil Walker.

“Some congestion and delays are inevitable in peak times, and starting your trip at non-peak times can make the journey safer and more enjoyable.  We’ve also crunched the numbers from traffic volumes for previous long weekends and holiday periods, and used that data to make our best predictions for when and where traffic will be heaviest this weekend.

“While we’re encouraging people to use our holiday journeys tool to help plan their trips, predicted peak times can change based on incidents, weather or even driver behaviour, so we’re also encouraging people to check our real time updates(external link) on-line before they head off, which provides traffic information and updates on delays, road works and road closures in real time,” Mr Walker says.

Mr Walker also urged drivers to play their part to stay safe on the roads these holidays.

“We know that congestion and delays can be frustrating, but the most important thing is that everyone gets to their destination safely. Please plan ahead, be patient and drive to the conditions.

“Trying to ‘make up lost time’ by speeding and unsafe overtaking puts everyone on the road at risk. Even when it isn’t the direct cause of a crash, speed is often the difference between someone walking away unharmed or being seriously injured or killed. For everyone’s safety, please slow down.” 

Tips for safe driving this long weekend: 

• Check your car is in good “health” before you head off. Check your tyre pressure and tread, windscreen wipers, indicators and lights.
• Take extra care when travelling in holiday periods because of increased traffic volumes, congestion, tiredness and people driving in unfamiliar environments.
• Drive to the conditions - whether it’s the weather, the road you’re on, the time of day or amount of traffic.
• Avoid fatigue. Take regular breaks to stay alert.
• Keep a safe following distance from vehicles in front so you can stop safely.
• Be patient – overtaking is unlikely to make a significant difference to your journey time due to the amount of traffic expected over the weekend.
• Allow plenty of time. Remember you are on holiday, so there’s no need to rush. 

Plan ahead for a safe, enjoyable journey. Keep up to date with:

• Traffic updates: nzta.govt.nz/traffic(external link)
• Facebook: facebook.com/TransportAgency(external link)
• Twitter: twitter.com/WakaKotahi_news(external link)
• Journey planner: journeys.nzta.govt.nz(external link)
• Phone: 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49)