On Sunday the 10th of April I had to take the car that I had borrowed from my parents last year down to Christchurch so that they could pick it up and drive it the rest of the way down to Dunedin. I had my ticket booked for the 0225 ferry arriving in Picton at around 0530. The ferry trip was completely forgettable due to the fact that I slept, like most of the passengers, most of the way across. I got back into my car just before we arrived in Picton to find what I hoped was not to be a standard for the trip. When I left the car on the deck of the ship I had left the drivers door slightly open which meant that the interior light was left on for the last 3 hours. I sat in my car diligently waiting on the starting orders from the crew on the deck and hoping that the car would start. I didn’t want to try and start the car to test that all was working as this could be the last start that I got out of the battery for a while and I didn’t want to turn it off just in case. Well all things started and I was off on my trip down the south island.

The plan was to drive to Blenheim and get breakfast there and continue from there after having a little break. For those of you that don’t know the south island very well (or at all) the Picton to Blenheim run is around 20-30 minutes. I had turned off the highway at Blenheim and ventured into town at around 0600. As you would expect, there was nothing open. Suspecting even McDonalds wouldn't be open I found myself a park and had a quick nap for half an hour. Looking back at the clock it was 0630 so I decided it was time to try and find McDonalds and grab some breakfast at long last.

The reason that I’m telling you all this is that I had the best drive from Picton to Christchurch that I have ever experienced in the few years (20 odd) that I have been driving; and it was all down to the way that I had planned it. I discovered a few years ago that if you want a stress-free drive after getting off the ferry then your best bet is to let the traffic go ahead of you. There are a few factors that you can’t control with this trip and the ferry crossing is one of them. After my little rest and grabbing breakfast the road ahead of me was just about completely clear of traffic, and I could drive at my own pace without having to worry about lots of drivers ahead of me speeding on the straights and crawling around the corners, or traffic behind me wanting to pay the government more money for using the roads at what ever speed they decided was appropriate. This didn’t mean that I didn’t see any traffic, but what I did see I was able to deal with in a safe manner.

I love driving, particularly open road, and there is a lot of skill involved with driving on the open road, too. Unlike a lot of people, I tend not to use my brakes when entering a corner. Instead, I plan for the corner and simply slow down by lifting off the accelerator before getting into the corner. It is also something that you can do when arriving in towns where the speed limit has been reduced to 70 or even 50 kph. This is an art that, from what I can tell, has been lost on most people - it’s not even something that is trained into most drivers these days. Some would say that this is only something that can be achieved in a manual (stick shift) car, but the car that I was driving was an automatic with no ABS system for the brakes.

Like all trips there were a few things that I remember most about this journey. There was a narrow bridge where I passed a dump truck with both of us going at speed. There was a van that tried to keep up with me but couldn't complete corners at the same speed. The van was the most memorable because he wanted to drive faster on the straights and obviously knew the area better than I did. But rather than pass me and slow me down when he decided to turn off he just sat behind me and waited until his turn off came up, and turned off. There was the Big Chill truck that was able to keep his speed up all the way until I pulled off for some food, a drink, and a quick break.

When I drive open road I drive at the speed limit. I know that I can drive faster, and in the past I have done. But I also know, not through personal experience thank god, what type of mess can happen when things stop going the way you plan and you end up on your roof or worse. If you don’t know what I mean just look for motor sport crashes. A couple that come to mind. The V8 Supercars crash between Mark Larkham and Paul Morris at Oran Park in 2000, the speed of which was estimated at around 160 kph. Or there was Jason Bargwanna's Phillip Island crash in 2002. Both of these events happened at the start of the race when the cars would have been going a speed that I have seen people doing on the open road. Remember; these cars have been designed to take a hit like that and provide the person inside the greatest possible chance of survival. There is a roll cage that encases the squishy bit that occupies the seat and all of these people where able to be pulled out alive. Now I’m not sure how many people know what a roll cage looks like, and in most road-going cars, that's the crucial part that is missing. Most modern cars are designed to take a crash at 100kph even 110kph, but once you are over that limit you are in the same boat as anyone else, and you sure won’t be able to kick the door open and hop out. We are talking Jaws of Life - and when you are on the open road that could be some time away - and inevitably is.

No, I’m not a perfect driver. Yeah, I have driven at speeds that have broken the speed limit. I have been off the clock (over 180 kph) in one of my cars, and I’m very lucky to have never had something go wrong. And I've also been caught a few times and I have paid my fines. To say the very least, I’m lucky to have never lost my licence.

Don’t get me wrong; there are still people out there that can drive and know what their limits are, and drive to them. But there are more and more people out there who get a car and just drive like idiots. No, I’m not talking just about the so-called boy racers, as most of the cars I have seen being driven like idiots are not generally in the budget of most boy racers. I’m not saying that someone can’t buy a fast car and not enjoy the drive. My point is - better to enjoy the drive safely, than to drive it only the once.

My message would be; Learn your limits as a driver, and learn what your car's capabilities are. This will take at least six months in any particular car. This combination is critical to safe driving. Most people who live to drive beyond the speed limit are generally unable to keep up in the corners. Getting that part right will provide you with more ways to enjoy the drive than any going over the speed limit.

Kryton