Get set for a safe summer on NSW roads
Holiday makers are reminded to plan ahead and avoid peak travel times, for road trips with minimum stress and optimum cheer this summer festive season.
Based on historical data, the heaviest traffic is expected on Friday 22 December and between Boxing Day 26 December and Friday 29 December.
Transport for NSW will be monitoring traffic at known pinch points on the Pacific Highway including Coffs Harbour, Tugun, and Hexham heading north, Mt Victoria on the Great Western Highway going west and Nowra, Jervis Bay, Milton and Ulladulla on the Princes Highway heading south.
Thousands of extra cars on the road will increase the risk of incidents. Drivers should avoid rushing, plan regular rest stops, service vehicles in advance, check the weather forecast and expect potential delays of up to 40 minutes.
While a number of major regional roads projects will be shutting down during the holiday break, many projects will still have reduced speed limits in place. Motorists are reminded to drive to the conditions and follow the directions of signs. Even when road crews are not on site there may be damage to the road condition that requires lower speed, stick to the limit.
If loading up the car, trailer, caravan, or boat for a trip, take the time to check everything is secure, all tyres and blinkers are in good condition, and drivers are across the rules around how to drive safely when towing.
Transport has fast-tracked the onboarding and training of 123 councils, including all 94 regional councils, to upload data in real time to Live Traffic NSW. This means information on emergencies or planned incidents will be fed directly through to motorists through major navigation apps including Google and Apple maps.
To find the best times to travel to your destination, use the TfNSW pinch point journey planning tool at myjourneynsw.info and get the latest traffic updates by downloading the Live Traffic NSW app, visiting livetraffic.com or calling 132 701.
Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison said:
“We want people to have a safe and happy festive season. The best way to do this is to plan ahead, so you don’t get caught out by delays, and arrive at your destination well rested.
“As schools break up we’ll see thousands of families head in and out of the regions for the Christmas holidays.
“We need people to plan their journeys ahead with plenty of time and try to avoid the peak periods on our roads so they have a safe trip and don’t get stuck in traffic.
“We expect the busiest days on the roads will be the Friday before Christmas, and from Boxing Day to the New Years Eve weekend.
“Consider leaving home earlier or later in the day than you otherwise would to avoid peak times along your route. Tragically, as of midnight 11 December 2023, 334 people had lost their lives on NSW roads so far this year which is 67 more than for the same time last year. So I’m asking everyone to please take extra care on our roads.”