Facts about the christmas road toll such as the highest and lowest amount of deaths and the factors involved.
A grief-stricken mother who lost two children and their dad in three separate crashes is pleading for Kiwis to be safe on the roads this Christmas holiday period.
After all her suffering and heartache, Traci Ellis has been left frustrated that the road safety message isn't getting through with 370 killed on our roads this year, making it the worst year on our roads since 2010.
"It's devastating because there are lots of families who are going to go through the same thing that I am going through and their life is never, ever going to be the same again," Ellis said.
Kara was just 9 when she died following a truck accident. Photo/Supplied
And with the Christmas/New Year holiday road toll officially underway the Blenheim-based woman hoped that by sharing her heartbreak, she would encourage others to drive safely so that their loved ones don't have to go through the pain she feels to this day.
Ellis' 9-year-old daughter Kara Ellis died in 2000 after the truck she was travelling in veered off a road in Seddon. The truck was being driven by a friend of Ellis'.
The tragedy was followed by the death of the father of Ellis' children Tynan Alderson in 2009. Alderson was killed when he crashed his motorbike on the West Coast while driving under the influence of alcohol.
Tynan Alderson died after he crashed his motorbike, just two years later his son was killed in a road accident. Photo/Supplied
Just three years later Ellis' son Kayne Alderson was killed when the car he was driving, while drunk and not wearing a seatbelt, hit a power pole near Rangiora. The accident happened just 10 days after his 18th birthday.
Ellis said while it was wrong for Kayne to drink drive, the accident could have been prevented if his mates looked out for each other instead of letting her son get behind the wheel.
Kayne's friend and owner of the car he was driving, Ben Beazley was sentenced to 200 hours of community work and six months supervision in 2013, after he admitted a charge of aiding and abetting a driver he knew was under the influence of alcohol.
Kayne Alderson died just days after his 18th birthday. Photo/Supplied
"It has broken me losing him. He was just a neat kid that would do anything for anybody," said Ellis.
"I didn't get to do a lot and say a lot to my son before he passed away…I don't get to see 21sts, weddings, grandchildren and so I hold a lot of resentment."
Ellis wanted to encourage others to not let people drink drive, even if they have only had one drink, as well as look out for their mates, wear seatbelts and be safe on the roads.
"To me this is very important because if you can save one person's life then you know that you've done something good," she said.
"People need to realise that it can all just be taken away from you in one split second."
The official Christmas/New Year holiday road toll started at 4pm on Friday and will end at 6am on January 3.
Police and New Zealand Transport Agency launched the "We want you here for Christmas" campaign this month to encourage drivers to slow down, buckle up, put their cellphones away, and not drink and drive.
A total of 19 people were killed on our roads and another 104 seriously injured over the last Christmas/New Year period.
The most common contributing factors for crashes over the holiday road toll period last year included losing control, alcohol or drugs, travelling too fast for the conditions, inattention and failing to stop or give way.
