Six tips for safer Easter holiday driving

Aussie roads are expected to be busier than usual with a lot more of us holidaying at home this year, exploring our regions and visiting family and loved ones.

Research compiled by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) shows major fluctuations in the numbers of holiday-time road fatalities.

The ATSB says the holiday periods do not introduce any change in the involvement of the primary casual factors influencing crashes (speeding, alcohol or fatigue) and attributes those fluctuations in fatalities to so-called random events.

However, versus the rest of the year, the Bureau’s findings on road fatalities over the Christmas and Easter breaks show:

So, to help keep you and your family out of these sorts of stats this Easter, here are our top six tips for safe holiday driving.

“We’re going to take-off straight after work,” is not a great concept. You’re writing yourself a gilt-edged invitation to join traffic snarls, get frustrated and drive while tired. Also, you’ll probably be driving on rural roads at dusk and after dark – which is to be avoided due to the increased risk of animal strike. Not to mention that while you drive you’ll probably still be thinking about a few things which should have been dealt with at work.

So, to maximise your Easter vacation time, a safer plan is to take an extra day of annual leave or an RDO, leave on Thursday, and take a more considered approach to the journey. By all means get home and pack straight after work, but leave the driving to when you are fresh both mentally and physically.

When you’re on the road, accept the fact it’s Easter and there will be an extra numbers of cars heading to popular holiday destinations. It’s going to take longer than normal, so just stay calm and go with the flow. Major traffic delays occur on freeways when drivers try to take advantage of a merge/exit and cut in front of other motorists – which in turn sets-off a chain reaction of drivers hitting the brakes leading to gridlock on the freeway and rear-enders.

The folk at the Bureau of Meteorology are your friends, so take their advice. Like you, over the Easter break we’ve endured five days of non-stop rain in Noosa, got sunburnt in Melbourne and seen billiard table flat Sydney beaches transform overnight into dangerous swells. It’s the same on the roads as this is a changeable time of the year, so study the forecasts to avoid potential trouble (flash flooding, bushfires, etc.) which may turn your journey into a disaster.

Our best advice: take some extra vacation time before and after Easter to avoid the worst of the traffic, leave early (but not before sunrise), accept travel time will be longer than normal, stay calm and relaxed, check on-line in advance for any adverse weather or driving conditions.

F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton parties hard with the A-listers at home in Los Angeles but is all business from the time he boards his private jet to head off to a Grand Prix until he re-boards for the trip home. It should be the same for you this Easter.

Having a big night out before a long road trip is asking for trouble. First, there’s the morning booze bus to contemplate, and a roadside ‘technicolour yawn’ isn’t a slick look in anyone’s book. You’d hardly call any of this responsible family behavior.

Our best advice: avoid alcohol the day before you drive, get a good rest that night and have a shower next morning to make sure you’re ‘fired-up’ before you get in the car. This will help you focus on the job of getting to your destination safely.

How are your tyre pressures (including the spare wheel for your car, van, boat-trailer, etc.)? Checked the engine oil lately? What about the engine coolant and windscreen-washer bottles? Get all that sorted and fill the fuel tank before departure (time stopped at the service station is time lost on your journey).

One more thing: can you change a wheel if you get a puncture? Are you physically able and do you know where your car’s jack is and how it works? To prevent traffic snarls and reduce risks, don’t forget that driven very slowly, it is OK to drive your car to a safe location to change a flat tyre.

Our best advice: get your car prepped prior to departure, know how to change a spare wheel and know the contact details of your roadside assistance provider or motoring club.

In fact it’s not just mobiles causing problems here. Emergency first responders have told us of their frustrations with motorists whose car audio systems have been so loud they don’t hear sirens and are startled when they see flashing lights behind them, panic, over-react and sometimes cause crashes.

Yes, the latest in-car entertainment is good (especially rear-seat screens for the youngsters), but drivers shouldn’t become engaged – your sole job is to drive safely. If necessary, pull-over and stop until the entertainment system is sorted – don’t try to wrestle with it while heading down the freeway at 100km/h.

Likewise with phones. While hands-free talking might be OK in the peak-hour crawl, it’s a different story when you’re at speed on rural roads – you just can’t offer 100 per cent concentration on driving when you’re talking, so hand electronic communication responsibilities to others in the car before you leave, or pull over safely if you really need to make that call.

Our best advice: in-car entertainment is never the job of the driver, and give the phone a rest until you stop.

The great F1 champion Sir Jackie Stewart once said about the top-shelf overalls and crash helmet he wore while testing his race car: “The fire you have in practice is just as hot as the fire you have in a race.” The same principle applies for mums and dads hitting the road for the Easter holidays. You just can’t expect to control your vehicle properly while wearing thongs, slides, golf shoes, riding boots or even bare-foot. Flat-sole sneakers or boat shoes equip you best for driving.

Our best advice: Dress for driving when driving.

How many times have you heard a news report about a road incident including the line: “returning from holidays”? You can’t relax until you get home, so the same rules apply for the return journey, beginning with avoiding a big night on your last day away and moving through all of the above.

Our best advice: the return journey is just as dangerous as the one away, so maintain your focus and follow the rules.

Yep, major holidays aren’t the best time to be on the road, but patience, care and consideration pay rewards: time spent relaxing with family and friends.

Related: Beat the rush at Easter
Related: Why you shouldn't go away over Easter