Easter travel, fatigue and daylight saving collide in a perfect storm on New Zealand roads this weekend

Easter travel, disrupted sleep and shifting daylight hours are set to collide in a perfect storm on New Zealand roads this long weekend - a period already associated with heightened road trauma.

Over the past three years, New Zealand’s Easter road toll has remained too high, with five deaths recorded over Easter 2025, nine in 2024 and ten in 2023. Each represents a family waiting for someone who never came home - underscoring the ongoing risk as more drivers take to the roads for extended holiday travel.

While the daylight saving change is often associated with gaining an hour of sleep, fatigue experts warn the shift comes with a darker side: disrupting circadian rhythms, altering alertness patterns and affecting driver performance at exactly the time traffic volumes increase.

Katrina Aubrey, AutoSense Fatigue and Sleep Specialist says this year’s timing creates a convergence of risk factors for both drivers at work and those heading away with family and friends.

“Fatigue doesn’t take holidays - and neither does human physiology. This Easter, increased traffic, long-distance travel and disrupted routines are colliding with a daylight saving shift. Even though we technically gain an hour, our body clocks don’t reset overnight. For many drivers, it can take up to a week, sometimes two, for alertness and sleep patterns to stabilise again.”

AutoSense data highlights how prevalent fatigue risk already is on New Zealand roads. Analysis[1] from nearly 6,000 Guardian by Seeing Machines cameras installed in commercial vehicles across the country recorded 19,336 human-verified fatigue events and 51,597 distraction events in a 12-month period - prompting an average of 53 driver wake-up interventions every day.

Aubrey says this provides a baseline picture of fatigue risk that may be amplified during periods of increased travel.

“These figures show fatigue is already present every day on New Zealand roads. When you layer in longer journeys, altered routines and heavier traffic over Easter, the potential for fatigue-related risk increases. For some, Easter travel follows a demanding work week, while for others it means early departures, late returns or unfamiliar routes. When these factors collide with circadian disruption, even brief lapses in attention can carry serious consequences.”

The Guardian data also highlights the broader nature of distraction risk. Mobile phone use accounted for 14,575 distraction events - around 28 percent - while the remaining 72 percent were linked to other in-cab distractions including adjusting music, navigation or looking away from the road.

Aubrey says this reinforces the importance of managing both fatigue and distraction during peak travel periods.

“Fatigue and distraction often go hand-in-hand. When drivers are tired, their ability to manage competing demands reduces. Holiday travel can increase cognitive load - unfamiliar routes, heavier traffic and time pressure - all of which can increase risk.”

She says the daylight saving change can also influence alertness in less obvious ways.

“Light is one of the strongest cues for alertness. When daylight patterns shift, it can influence melatonin production, alertness and reaction time. For drivers undertaking longer journeys, particularly later in the day, that change can subtly increase fatigue risk.”

Unlike Australia, where increased enforcement and double demerit periods often apply during holiday travel, Aubrey says New Zealand drivers rely more heavily on self-management and employer support like Guardian and Life Saver Mobile technology to mitigate fatigue risk.

“Behaviour changes when risk is visible. Where enforcement increases, drivers tend to be more cautious. In New Zealand, managing fatigue relies heavily on awareness, planning and organisational support – especially for drivers at work.”

AutoSense is encouraging organisations and drivers to take a proactive approach this Easter, and recommends these actions:

·       Plan breaks every two hours, regardless of how alert you feel

·       Avoid early departures following disrupted sleep

·       Share driving where possible

·       Allow extra travel time to reduce pressure

·       Recognise early fatigue signs including heavy eyelids, drifting speed or lane wandering

·       Avoid relying on caffeine as a substitute for sleep.

“Fatigue can impair you in ways similar to alcohol. Easter should be about getting to your destination safely and not pushing through tiredness to save time. The safest drivers this weekend will be the ones who recognise fatigue early and take action.

“Behind every fatigue alert is a person with a family waiting for them. When fatigue, distraction and increased travel collide, the risk rises. Recognising that perfect storm - and planning for it - is one of the most effective ways to keep drivers and everyone sharing the road safe this Easter.”

[1]  Seeing Machines by Guardian: New Zealand 2025 Insights Report