Editorial: Tragedy sombre reminder

The tragic crash near Ruakaka yesterday serves as a reminder to drive safe these holidays.

Northlanders who have lived in the region for more than a decade or so will know the deadly reputation of State Highway 1 south of Whangarei.

And yet in recent years, the number of road deaths on a stretch some know as "the killing fields" have dropped after millions of dollars was spent making the highway safer.

Which makes yesterday's accident in which four persons died, all the more tragic.

Two adults and two children died and an eight-year-old boy is critically ill after what police have described as a 'moment of inattention' at Uretiti.

Initial police investigations indicate that a north-bound driver attempted to do a U-turn on the highway in front of a fully laden logging truck.

Exactly what happened, we will never know as the driver died in the accident.

Twenty-four hours from the commencement of the official period, the crash is a sombre reminder of the perils of travelling on, not just Northland's but New Zealand's, highway network. Inspector Al Symonds was at the scene of the accident. His post-crash words should resonate with all who hold a driver's licence.

"It doesn't matter how late you are when you get there, just get there safely and spend time with your family and loved ones. We don't want this to happen".