Five family members died when their car slammed into a tree south of Kinleith, three people died in a collision in Ashburton and one person has died after their car crashed into water near Auckland Airport.
The Associate Minister of Transport says the number of deaths on the road is heartbreaking after nine people were killed in three crashes today.
Julie Anne Genter said the level of death and injury on our roads was not something we should accept.
"Over the weekend, and again today, we've been reminded why any fatality is a tragedy. Families, and whole communities are in shock and I know there'll be much grief and sadness," Genter said.
Police are urging drivers to take extra care on the roads - to drive to the conditions, wear seatbelts, don't drive tired or after drinking, or taking drugs.
NZ Transport Agency director of safety and environment Harry Wilson said with the Easter holiday period approaching, everyone needed to remember plan ahead, take regular breaks, and stay safe on our roads.
"Every road tragedy has a ripple effect out into our communities, our workplaces and of course within families," Wilson said.
Nine people are dead after three separate crashes this morning, including five family members who died when their car slammed into a tree south of Kinleith.
In a second horrific incident hours later three people died in a collision in Ashburton.
Meanwhile five members of the same family have been confirmed dead after a car slammed into a gum tree south of Kinleith at 7.40am today.
An 11-year-old boy survived but has serious injuries.
Police confirmed five people died in the single vehicle crash as the car travelled west on Tirohanga Rd at 7.40am.
They were all members of one family, Senior Sergeant Fane Troy confirmed. A teenager was among the dead.
Some of the car's occupants were not wearing seatbelts and "this has contributed to the deaths", Troy said.
Three women had died in the crash and two men. They were a local family.
"Our hearts go out to the family, these are the ones this will hurt the most," Troy said.
The crash scene in Tirohanga Rd. Photo / Leah Tebbutt
Firefighters had to remove two bodies to free a sixth person from the wreckage. The sole survivor, a boy aged 11, is in Waikato Hospital with serious injuries.
A woman who lives about 300 metres from the crash scene said she was waiting at the end of her driveway for the school bus with her 6-year-old son when her friend phoned to say there had been an accident.
The woman said she had noticed the traffic coming from State Highway 1 had slowed and realised the crash must have happened near her home.
"Then I heard the choppers and police come past," she said.
"The roads have been closed right outside our house."
The woman said she phoned the school to alert them of the accident and was told the bus could not get through the cordon.
"But my son still wanted to go to school so he jumped the fence and went to school in the neighbour's ute with his friend," she said.
She used the road daily and said while she had not seen the crash, people needed to be cautious - especially in the wet.
"There are sections that are quite narrow and dangerous... it can get quite slippery," she said.
The narrow sections were hazardous with the range of vehicles that used it, including large trucks and tractors.
She said there needed to be more signage to warn people of the common slower and larger vehicles which used the roads, especially for those who did not use the road often.
The crashed police car 500 meters away from the single-vehicle crash. Photo / Stephen Parker
There had been a second "incident" near the crash scene but a FENZ spokesman said he did not believe anyone had been injured in the second crash. Police later confirmed a stationary police car was involved in the non-injury crash.
UPDATE: Five people have been confirmed dead.
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