Holiday road toll: Seven killed in first two days of Labour weekend

Police are urging motorists to slow down and "arrive alive" this Labour weekend. Photo / Warren Buckland

Police are urging motorists to slow down as seven lives have been lost on the roads in the first two days of the Labour Day weekend.

Last year's toll for the whole holiday was eight.

The latest incident saw two people die in a crash on State Highway 14 near Wheki Valley in Whangārei on Sunday morning.

Three others were injured in the crash with critical to moderate injuries.

The road remains closed and motorists are asked to avoid the area and to expect delays.

An investigation into the crash is ongoing.

"It's already been a horrific holiday weekend on the country's roads and a number of families have been changed forever," says Superintendent Steve Greally, director of the National Road Policing Centre.

"While our investigators work to understand how these crashes occurred, preliminary information tells us alcohol, speed, no seatbelts, distractions and poor decisions are likely to feature, and the consequences have proved to be devastating."

Police expect the roads to be very busy on Monday with traffic and delays across the country as people head home from the long weekend.

"Please keep calm and be patient on the road, and accept that some delays are likely on your journey home," Greally says.

"Plan ahead, watch your speed and following distances, pay attention to the conditions, stop and take a break if you're feeling fatigued, and allow plenty of time for a safe trip home."

On Saturday, a person died after falling from a moving vehicle on Clevedon-Kawakawa Rd in Kawakawa Bay just before 7pm.

Another two people died after a serious two-car crash near Waihola, Otago, on Saturday morning. Three others were injured, two seriously and one moderately.

On Friday, a motorcyclist died at the scene after colliding with a car in Burnham, Christchurch, and a woman died after being hit by a truck in Hawke's Bay.

The woman, a mother from Napier, was hit by a truck-and-trailer horse float between Hastings and Waipawa.

It is the first fatality on Hawke's Bay roads in more than four months, and the Herald understands the driver was transporting horses that had competed in events at the Hastings showgrounds.

The Labour Day weekend holiday road toll period started at 4pm on Friday and ends 6am on Tuesday.

"Police can't be everywhere all of the time, " Greally said, "Drivers need to take responsibility for their actions when operating a vehicle and focus on getting everybody in their vehicle to their destination safely."