Holiday road toll: Police urge drivers to take care as death toll rises

Police are urging anyone who gets behind the wheel to take extra care and to slow down, as the holiday road toll continues to climb.

Provisionally, 15 people have died on our roads since the holiday period started at 4pm on Friday, December 23. It ends on Wednesday, January 4.

The tragedies include the deaths of two pedestrians in Gisborne overnight, after they were struck by a car.

Assistant commissioner of deployment and road policing Bruce O’Brien said the number of people killed on our roads during this time is a “tragic reminder” of the realities of road crashes.

“That’s... people who leave grieving loved ones behind at what is supposed to be a happy and relaxing time of year,” he said.

“Our thoughts go out to those people who are dealing with the very worst of circumstances.”

Police said in a statement that they wanted drivers and their families and friends to get home alive.

“That means buckling up, not driving impaired or fatigued, staying within the speed limit and putting any distractions like your phone away,” O’Brien said.

O’Brien also said there was a need for people to be patient.

“There will be high volumes of traffic on the roads and delays will be inevitable at peak times,” he said.

“Please, stay calm [and] treat the people in the cars around you like they’re your own family.”

Drivers are also encouraged to think of other ways that could help their journeys, such as delaying their departure time, or taking a few extra stops along the way.

“Make the most of summer and get home safely.”

Last year’s road toll is the highest in four years, with 377 people dying on the country’s roads by last night.

The last time the road toll was as high was in 2018, with a significant drop seen during the years of Covid-19 lockdowns.