Holiday traffic: Roads busiest in the afternoon

Traffic chaos on Auckland's South Western Motorway this afternoon. Photo / Daniel Hines

Get up at the crack of dawn. That's the advice being given to motorists planning to head out of town in the lead up to New Year's Eve.

Roads to top Kiwi summer holiday destinations are at their busiest during the middle of the day, according to the NZ Transport Agency.

State Highway 1 heading north towards Wellsford is likely to be busiest between 1pm and 5pm, and traffic will build up from about 9am.

The agency suggests holidaymakers pack their cars the night before and head off first thing the following morning.

"Roads will be quieter and you'll be able to put your feet up and relax much sooner," spokesman Rua Pani said.

The agency would update traffic conditions on Twitter and congestion maps would show where and when traffic is likely to be particularly heavy.

NZTA on Twitter:

•Auckland and Northland

•Waikato and Bay of Plenty

•Central North Island

•Wellington

•Canterbury and West Coast

•Otago and Southland

Waikato police have urged motorists to slow down after a driver was clocked at 151km/h and another travelling north on the Waikato expressway were caught at 180km/h.

Senior Sergeant Steve Ambler of the Waikato Highway Patrol said traffic to Coromandel and the Bay of Plenty was particularly built up at the intersection of SH2 and SH26 at Paeroa and the intersection of SH1 and SH29 at Piarere, where drivers head towards the Kaimai Ranges.

In the Far North today, three women were injured, one critically, when their car and a truck collided on State Highway 11 at Haruru.

And in the Selwyn District near Christchurch, a young person died in a crash between a car and a truck, taking the holiday road toll to six.

Traffic chaos on Auckland's South Western Motorway after a van rolled this afternoon. Photo / Daniel Hines

Dob in bad drivers, police say

If you see a dangerous driver, dob them in to police, national road policing manager Superintendent Stephen Greally says.

Mr Greally said motorists needed to be patient.

"People get frustrated when they're stuck in queues, and they make poor decisions."

He said he'd seen appalling behaviour on the roads this holiday season, and speed was a killer.

"We will always have those people who simply don't care about their own welfare or anyone else's."

If motorists saw bad driving, they should call *555 and report the time, location and the car's registration number and any other details.

"We can issue tickets retrospectively," he said.

"We'd encourage members of the public to do that because the majority of New Zealanders don't want to share the road with these clowns.

"And because police can't be everywhere all the time, we really do rely on the public's eyes and ears to assist us."

Dob in a dodgy driver

•Drivers can legally use their cellphones to make emergency (111) and *555 calls while driving.

•Use your judgment. If it's not safe to make a call, pull over. If you have a passenger, get them to do it.

•If you think a driver is likely to be putting themselves or others in immediate danger, call 111.

Congestion hot spots:

SH1 between Puhoi and Wellsford (north)
•Today -- heaviest between 9.20am and noon
•Tomorrow -- congestion likely between 9.30am and 6.30pm.

SH2 Maramarua (east towards Tauranga and Coromandel)
•Today -- heaviest between 10.30am and 12.30pm
•Tomorrow -- heaviest between 11.30am and 3.30pm