The crash happened at the Kopu Bridge in Coromandel on Friday morning, bringing road toll so far in 2018 to 125.
After 18 years in the police, the country's road policing manager has seen a lot of fatal accidents.
"It is absolutely gutting," Superintendent Steve Greally said.
"There is frustration, sadness, so many emotions involved with road crashes.'
A total of 125 people have died on the country's roads so far this year - 18 more than at this point last year, including three more yesterday.
At about 8.30pm last night, a 20-year-old man is alleged to have veered across the centre line, crashing head-on into a married couple in their 60s near Kopu bridge, Coromandel.
Superintendent Steve Greally, National Manager Road Policing. Photo / Mark Mitchell
"Three people lost their lives, three people who were alive and well yesterday, today it is all over. It is the families who have to deal with that, and our hearts go out to them."
Greally has been in his current role three years, and a police officer 18 years.
"I have attended these kinds of crashes, and had to tell families when their loved ones have died. Unfortunately, our police are doing that on average more than once a day.
"Years and years ago, we would be telling officers to 'man up' covering these crashes, but it takes a toll.
"Now we have great ways of dealing with those pressures and provide support and monitor our staff very closely."
He said it was not so much that driving was getting worse, rather the environment was changing.
"To provide context, in the 1970s and 1980s annual road deaths were north of 700.
"But it was a different environment then."
Our highest annual road toll was in 1973 when a staggering 843 people died - more than double the tally last year, when the population was far higher. The per-capita road toll was more than four times higher in 1973 than in 2011.
However, speed and blood-alcohol limits were higher then, and seatbelts only became mandatory in 1975.
Driving on New Zealand roads has become safer, however in the past several years the road toll has begun to increase again.
This year's 125 deaths have occurred in 109 fatal crashes - 12 more than last year.
In the 12 months to today, 398 people lost their lives in 356 crashes, compared to 329 from 290 crashes in the 12 months before that.
This is up from 253 deaths in 2013.
Greally said there were more cars, and more people driving on the roads, than ever before.
"There are a lot more cars on the road this year than even last year, and in the last four years the number of kilometres travelled on our roads has increased 15 percent.
However, there were several key factors that came into many fatal crashes, including driving conditions, speed, driver impairment, and distractions.
"Our climate can be treacherous, and conditions change. As drivers we need to be able to adapt our behavior, reduce our speed. That way if we make a mistake, we are more likely to walk away."
He was not familiar with the area of last night's tragedy, but said all New Zealand roads demanded close attention.
"Like any part of the New Zealand network, drivers need to pay attention, do the right things well.
"The number of people who died after not wearing seatbelts has nearly doubled in the last few years - that is completely unacceptable. It only takes a few seconds to do.
"Don't drive under the influence of alcohol, drugs or even fatigue, your ability to think can be quickly impaired. Check prescription medications for side effects.
"Another is distractions, especially with cell phones. So many people are flouting the law. But when you take your eyes off the road, even for a second, the environment can change.
