With two long weekends approaching for Tauranga residents, it pays to remember to drive safely and to the conditions.

Western Bay of Plenty road policing manager Senior Sergeant Ian Campion says drivers can expect to see more police on the road.

'Generally for public holiday weekends there are more police on the road. Those who are working will be highly visible.”

For Ian, the most important thing is for drivers to keep their speeds down.

'That means not only exceeding the speed limit, but also not treating the speed limit as a target. The speed limit is the maximum speed during ideal conditions. But when you add factors such as heavy traffic, wet roads, or poor visibility, then speeds need to be reduced.”

Police will also be focusing on other areas of driver safety, such as proper restraints (seatbelts) and driver impairment, such as drugs or alcohol.

Ian recommends planning ahead for the long weekend, to avoid delays and frustration.

'The bulk of the ingress and egress traffic will be on State Highway 29 over the Kaimai Ranges and State Highway 2 from Bethlehem to Waihi. We're in the middle of summer, and Tauranga tends to be a popular destination, so we get those higher traffic volumes.

'It's going to take people that little bit longer to get to their destination. So plan ahead and leave early, allowing yourself plenty of time so as to not put yourself under pressure. We all know what the peak traffic times are, so if you can avoid them, do so.

'You'll have a much more relaxing trip.”