Summer has well and truly arrived and embraced the South Island. Canterbury’s parched plains received 20mls of rain between 12/13 December. The grey skies and wet surfaces caused chaos on the roads and drivers failed to drive to the conditions. The state highway bridge over the Rakaia was closed due to an accident so diversion over the top bridge caused major traffic delays. Be aware that hotter weather and sunlight can cause sleepiness and fatigue. Spacing between vehicles should be 2 seconds in good weather and 4 seconds in bad weather. Prepare for travels by checking the safety of your tyres, drive to the conditions and on guard to slow down or stop to avoid an accident. Remember legally you must have at least 1.5mm of even tread on your tyres which is not a huge amount. If you are unsure of your tyre conditions, you can pop into Neumanns Tyre Services workshop during working hours and ask for a free check. Tyres that are under-inflated will be pumped up to your tyre specification. Should you need to replace a tyre or two, there is a comfortable waiting room for all customers to wait while your new tyres are fitted. Keep hydrated, keep awake and keep left!