Holiday planning

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33094, 8 December 1972, Page 12

Holiday planning

Planning for summer holidays should include much more than decisions about dates and places to stay Too many holidays each year are spoilt because insufficient attention is given to safety and security. Time spent now in checking cars for mechanical faults might save money later —or even life.. New Zealand’s road toll this year is already more than 650 — 50 higher than at the same time last year. A recent warrant of fitness is not a guarantee that a vehicle will stand up to holiday motoring; a thorough mechanical check should be made. Drivers whose vehicles have no warrants of fitness — and Ministry of Transport surveys suggest the number might be as high as 10 per cent — have an obligation to themselves and their families, as well as to the law, to have their vehicles checked as soon as possible.

Not that mechanical failure is the most common cause of accidents. Drivers should ensure that they are not distracted by holiday excitement. For them, the “ rule of three ” is a sound approach to holiday motoring: never drive for more than three hours without a break: never travel further than 300 miles in a day: and never have more than three drinks before driving.

Something more than a current warrant of fitness is also needed to ensure that caravans and trailers are safe, especially if they have not been used for some time. Boats, too, will need attention before owners can be sure that no deterioration has taken place during the winter; an inspection of lifejackets is even more important Campers and those who go into the mountains for their pleasures should also be checking equipment in the next few weeks. A stove which explodes —or a rope which breaks — can turn a holiday into a tragedy. The increasing number of burglaries in the city should remind those leaving houses unattended that doors and windows must be secure. Effective locks are the best deterrent to thieves Nor should pets be overlooked. Too often, for them, holidays mean neglect, even starvation. Some find refuge with the SPC.A, but their condition is a shocking commentary on the selfishness of people bent only on their own pleasure. Ensuring that pets will be cared for is an indispensable part of holiday planning.