Editorial: Avoid that slippery slide into autumn

The weather is always a popular topic of conversation and I daresay it edged into quite a few chats during the week when damp skies emerged to remind us that yes, we are into March now and that means autumn.

Too early for frosty windscreens just yet but it's getting dimmer earlier in the evenings and daylight saving is set to be unplugged in a fortnight's time.

After such a sustained patch of fine weather it was unusual to see damp paths and water dripping from branches and I heard several people comment "oh I don't mind because we needed it".

Which was something I daresay was echoed in many farming households, not to mention the fire service crews who at one stage must have been fearing the call that a major scrub or forest fire had been sparked.

But I doubt the remarkable artists working on the great seascape murals around Napier would have been too fussed about the stuff wet paint does not get along with.

Nor the tourists still arriving to get a taste of the eastern seaboard while the Indian summer lingers.

Not too many outdoor dining and sipping seats taken on Thursday.

But those who most dread the emergence of rain after such a lengthy and wonderful spell of sunny days are the crews who police the roads.

I have spoken to many through the years and there is a palpable sense of "uh oh" when they arrive for duty and the rain is starting to fall.

Because the one thing wet weather does not do for some drivers is dampen their approach to the way they drive.

Basically, some don't regard a slippery road as an issue requiring a little more attention.

Those big round things on each corner are called tyres, and they will grip the best they can but they need help.

They need to be given more time for braking and a little less velocity for cornering.

The spate of crashes when things were at their wettest this week would not have surprised the mobile constabulary.

It would have, I daresay, almost been anticipated and while I was interested to read that there would be a cash boost for assisting the training of new drivers I think it falls short.

All drivers need two or three sessions on a slippery skid pan ... I've done it and believe me, you get the message real fast.