Opinion: Going away for break now a matter of life and death

People are putting their lives at risk by travelling on the roads on holidays such as Easter. Photo / File

It's Easter, you've got a few days off and you're thinking about taking the kids away for the weekend.

But there's more to the decision-making process these days than just whether you can afford it, have time and can be bothered.

It comes down to a matter of life and death.

Do you risk your life and that of your family's and travel somewhere on the roads in a car?

It's a thing. And how sad is that?

I travelled with my family to Hawke's Bay on GoodFriday and quite frankly it was frightening.

Most at fault were slow drivers, causing impatient drivers to do ridiculous things, risking the lives of themselves and those around them.

We watched one near-crash after another as vehicle after vehicle did its best to nudge its way to the front of the line. All for what? To get there a few minutes faster.

Family and friends who knew we were away for a couple of days sent regular messages. "Be safe on the roads". "Take it easy out there".

It was as if we'd gone to war. And understandably so.

It wasn't long before heartbreaking news alerts started to appear on my phone - "A child dies on the Desert Rd", "A Taupo woman is killed on the road", "A teen motorcyclist dies instantly in Rotorua" and "Second child dies in Desert Rd crash".

These are all individuals and families who made the choice to go somewhere this Easter on the roads.

Our thoughts are with their loved ones as they mourn their sudden and horrific deaths.