Christmas travel plans: When is the best time to drive this holiday season?
As thousands of New Zealanders pack their chilly bins and their Christmas presents in preparation to get on the road for Christmas, New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi has released its traffic map which predicts what stretches of highway will be the busiest during the holiday season.
It’s essential viewing for people eager to get out of town for Christmas and New Year’s without sitting in traffic for hours.
When will the roads be busiest in the North Island?
Starting at the top of the country in Whangarei, the NZTA map predicts State Highway 1 northbound will see heavy usage between the hours of 11am and 6pm most days of the Christmas period.
Traffic will start to pick up on December 21 and stay heavy right the way through to December 29. From there, it will be calm from five days until January 6 when it begins to pick up again.
For the northbound highway, the traffic will stay heavy all the way through from the December 21 to January 7 - however, the quietest times to travel will be off peak - from 6am to 8am, and then again from 4pm to 8pm.
Moving down the country to Auckland, State Highway 1 northbound between Manukau and Bombay is expected to be busiest in the New Year, between the January 2 and 6.
For those travelling south, the motorway will be busier between the hours of 10am and 6pm on December 22, then between 9am and 3pm from December 23 to 29.
In the Bay of Plenty, State Highway 2 between Paeroa and Waihi will see traffic during the Christmas period - but westbound will be almost empty until New Year when it will be busiest on January 2 between the hours of 7.30am and 1pm.
State Highway 29, west of Tauranga will see heavy traffic throughout the holidays, especially eastbound.
The heaviest day will be December 23 between the hours of 8.30am and 3.30pm.
Towards the bottom of the North Island Wellington will be relatively quiet on the roads.
The heaviest day for traffic is shaping up to be December 21 - at least for State Highway 2 between Pekapeka and Otaki, where traffic will be busy from 9am until 6pm.
Between Remutaka Hill and Featherston, traffic will be heavy in short bursts across the holidays, beginning on December 23. The worst times to be on the road will be the mornings, between 8am and 11.30am.
When will the roads be busiest in the South Island?
In the South Island, the Tasman region will see increased traffic - especially in Golden Bay, after Christmas.
Traffic will be higher on December 23, between 12pm and 2pm but the real congestion will kick in at New Years and the lead-up to it.
December 28, 29 and 30 will see high volumes of traffic heading east all day, with the numbers dropping on January 6. The best times to travel during this period will be off-peak - before 8am and after 4pm.
In the Christchurch region, State Highway 1 heading north and south between Ashburton and Christchurch will be busy all season, with the worst traffic hitting on December 21 between 11.30am and 6pm. The road will stay busy through to January 7.
State Highway 1 Waipara, to the north of Christchurch, is a similar story, it will be busy in shorter bursts.
In Queenstown, traffic will be heavy for long periods between December 21 and January 7, with the best hours for travel coming in the early hours of the morning or late afternoon to evening.
AA road safety spokesperson Dylan Thomsen is warning motorists to stick to the speed limits as the summer holidays are a peak time for car crashes.
“Summer is the busiest time on our roads, which makes it a riskier time for crashes. We expect the Police to be out in force on the roads from this point on - meaning if you are breaking the rules you are more likely to be caught.”
Thomsen also said holidaymakers can expect to see a lot of road works across the country - 2500 kilometres of state highway improvement and repair works in total.
“Motorists will need to show some patience this summer. Be prepared to stop, take instructions from traffic management crews, and follow the reduced speed limits at work sites.”
The NZTA traffic map is made using data from previous years - for the latest up-to-date information on real-time traffic movements and road closures, people should check the NZTA website.