TAKE care when travelling on the roads and don't become a statistic. It is a message that needs to be driven home especially with the region currently experiencing extreme weather patterns and in particular heavy rain with flash flooding in some areas. It's simple.
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These conditions make the roads a more hazardous place to be. The best option would be to stay off the roads, but that is not always feasible so if you have to travel then adopting a few basic safety measures could mean the difference between arriving safely at your destination or not arriving at all. And at the top of that list of safety tips is to slow down. The speed limit may say 60km or 110km, but this is not a directive, it is the top limit.
When the roads are greasy and wet, or covered in water and when visibility is reduced because of heavy rain then the common sense needs to prevail.
That first step should be to reduce speed for the safety of yourself and anyone else travelling on the road.
Turn on your lights to improve your visibility to other vehicles on the road and if you need to pull over, make sure that you are completely off the road and even turn on your hazard lights.
Other tips for road safety in the wet conditions can be seen on page 3 of today's Southern Highland News. While these tips are well suited to the current rainy conditions they could well become invaluable as we head into the colder, winter months with the Southern Highlands often affected by other hazardous conditions on the road including black ice and heavy fog. Remember the roads are shared by many and you not only need to be mindful of your own driving habits, but be alert for the behaviour of other motorists.