New Zealand doesn\u2019t have an extensive motorway network like, for example, the UK, but if you live in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch or Dunedin then you might need to drive on them frequently, not including the few expressways in Tauranga, Waikato, Hawke’s Bay and extending from existing motorways.<\/p>\n
Motorways present a number of driving situations that don\u2019t occur frequently on single carriageway roads such as traffic merging at various speeds, vehicles overtaking on the left and the right, gantry signs and vehicles travelling at high speed next to one another. Let\u2019s cover off four things you\u2019ll need to consider when driving on the motorway.<\/p>\n
Motorways are designed to efficiently move large numbers of vehicles at a similar speed across a long distance. \u2018Similar speed\u2019 is essential to a motorway functioning efficiently.<\/p>\n
If you drive too slowly on the motorway you will cause lots of lane changes by motorists who will need to overtake you. Changing lanes on a motorway increases the risk of an accident and also slows the average speed once the traffic reaches a critical mass. Some traffic modelling algorithms will say that one driver making an erratic move can trigger a traffic jam \u2013 like a \u2018butterfly effect\u2019 of driving. Driving slowly will frustrate other drivers. If you or your vehicle cannot drive within 20kph of the motorway speed limit then you are causing a problem.<\/p>\n
Fast drivers are equally to blame. Because all traffic tends to move at a similar speed, drivers may not be able to predict the position of your vehicle if you are travelling much faster than everyone else. This can cause them to pull out in front of you which might cause an accident. It also means that you are less able to avoid situations such as traffic suddenly stopping, and therefore you increase your risk of having an accident.<\/p>\n
Fast drivers can also intimidate slower drivers causing them to drive even more slowly or nervously.<\/p>\n
When you tailgate another vehicle you reduce the gap between you and it and therefore variances in the speed of the vehicle ahead of you will seem magnified because they will change the gap proportionally more. For example, if you are travelling 50m behind a car in front and its speed drops enough so that the gap closes by 5m to 45m, that\u2019s a change of 10%; if you are travelling 20m behind a car in front and the same 5m change occurs, that\u2019s a 25% change in the relative distance, and that is likely to cause you to brake.<\/p>\n
When you brake, your brake lights come on and this signals to drivers behind that they should prepare to brake, too. Many will brake whether they need to or not, and almost all will lift off the accelerator. The effect of this above a certain traffic density is to cause traffic to slow down.<\/p>\n
The other effect is that you will wear your brakes out more quickly.<\/p>\n
You should also never travel with your foot resting on the brake pedal. You are not driving a go-kart. Your brake lights come on as soon as the brake pedal starts to move \u2013 that\u2019s before you feel any braking effort. People behind you, though, won\u2019t be able to tell if you are braking or not and if you do need to brake suddenly you risk someone running into the back of your vehicle.<\/p>\n