AA spokesman Simon Lambourne says "many New Zealanders will make the most of the three day weekend and go for a drive - either for a short holiday or to see family and friends. There are many things that motorists can do to keep themselves safe on the roads, but remembering these four simple things will certainly make driving much safer this ANZAC weekend.

"Take your time - there will be a lot of traffic on the roads. Give yourself plenty of time to make the trip, and remember there is no need to speed. It's far better to get to your destination an hour later than not to get there at all because of a crash."

"Maintain a good following distance - it's important to have a safe distance between you and the vehicle in front, in case you need to stop suddenly. The two-second rule is an easy way to make sure you have left enough room, no matter what speed you're travelling at. In bad weather you need to increase your following distance to four seconds."

"Turn off mobile phones - it's a long weekend, so have a break! If you must have your phone on and have passengers in the vehicle, get them to answer your calls. Pull to the side of the road if you do have to talk on your phone, and above all don't text and drive."

"Remembering these three things will help make the ANZAC weekend safer for everyone on the roads," says Mr Lambourne.

For more information contact

Simon Lambourne
Communications Manager
New Zealand Automobile Association
T. +64 9 966 8608
M. +64 21 659 029
E. slambourne@aa.co.nz

The New Zealand Automobile Association is an incorporated society with over one million members. It represents the interests of road users who collectively pay over $2 billion in taxes each year through fuels excise, road user charges and GST.