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As lockdown restrictions ease in time for Christmas and summer and we reunite with family and friends across the country, AMI is reminding fellow Kiwis of the importance of pre-planning for a stress-free break.
New Ipsos nationwide research from AMI shows that 56 per cent of Kiwis are planning a driving holiday this year, and of those, 63 per cent expect to be travelling for 2-5 hours to reach their destination, with 19 per cent between 6-10 hours.
But while Kiwis may be eager to hit the road, many haven’t factored in proper break times for their trip, with only 47 per cent saying they plan to take a break every two hours, and 9 per cent every hour.
Before leaving home, AMI urges Kiwis to make a plan.
“Checking for any planned roadworks or weather warnings, getting your car serviced, doing some general maintenance, and checking availability of rest stops along your route are important parts of a safe and stress-free drive,” says Alex Geale, AMI executive general manager, distribution.
“Make sure your car, camper or caravan is in good working order. You should also check road conditions before setting off and even consider delaying your trip if the forecast shows a significant weather event. If you do get stuck in bad conditions, adjust your driving to remain safe by slowing down, turning on your headlights and leaving enough room between you and other drivers.
“It’s also possible that there will be Covid-related delays with road checks. Plan your trip, be patient, calm and polite to other drivers and officials.”
While the research showed that most of us will check tyre pressure (72 per cent), water (64 per cent) and oil levels (64 per cent), far fewer of us will get our car serviced professionally (24 per cent), map the route (49 per cent) or check for road works or weather warnings (31 per cent) before setting off.
And don’t overlook what you’re leaving behind either. Before setting off on your holiday, AMI recommends taking action to ensure your home is safely secured.
“While it’s encouraging to see that only 3 per cent of Kiwis don’t lock their windows and doors when they leave home, there’s still a lot more we could be doing to help keep our homes safe and avoid any unfortunate events when we’re not there to keep an eye on things,” said Geale.
“For added security, we recommend you look into putting your lights on timers, ensuring alarms are working well, and putting portable, valuable items, like jewellery or electronics, out of sight. Chat to your neighbours and ask them to keep an eye on your property while you’re gone. Small things they can do like regularly clearing the mail can help deter intruders.”
Simple preventative measures like turning off appliances at the wall and, where practical, water off at the mains, can also help avoid the chance of returning home to the unexpected.
“Unfortunately, we do see instances of how quickly water can damage homes,” said Geale.
“For example, we had a recent case where a pipe burst when the homeowners were away just for a weekend. It was only noticed when the neighbour saw water coming out the front door and flowing down the driveway. By this time of course, the house was well and truly soaked.”
