Annual road toll becomes worst in six years

A fatal road crash on SH2 near Pukehina in May which claimed the lives of two brothers and injured a third. Photo / File

The annual road toll has exceeded last year's grim total and is now the worst in six years.

Today police confirmed the 2016 toll stood at 320 after the death of a toddler who was run over in a driveway in Te Kauwhata yesterday was included in statistics.

The child died on a public driveway, which meant the death included in the official road toll, said a spokeswoman.

Although the latest fatality has exceeded last year's total of 319 the previous highest death toll was in 2010 when 375 people died on the roads.

There are still four more days before the year ends.

The holiday road toll now stands at nine.

The official holiday road period began at 4pm on December 23 and ends at 6am on January 4.

Last year 12 people died on the roads in the same period from 244 reported injury crashes.

Police yesterday appealed for drivers to be careful on the roads and allow extra time for travel.

Counties Manukau patrol section supervisor Sergeant Mark Fleming said people were passing dangerously, driving too fast and driving under the influence.

Drivers were urged to watch their speed and following distances, allow extra time to reach their destination and enjoy the journey, rather than risk the safety of others by getting impatient and stressed.

Police would be highly visible on the roads over summer and would be using a range of tactics. This included focusing on speeding drivers, those not buckled up, and those driving while impaired.

Speed cameras were in high risk crash areas and set to enforce a reduced speed threshold of 4km/h until January 31.