Police heartened by low toll

Police are heartened by an early low road toll for the Christmas and New Year holiday period, despite reports of erratic driver behaviour.

The period runs from 4pm on Christmas Eve to 6am on January 5, and heading into day four there has been one reported death.

Farm worker Paul Lawrence McLaughlin, 31, died after a crash in Waikato early on Christmas Day.

Mr McLaughlin, the sole occupant, was thrown from his car after it clipped a guard rail and went down a bank off State Highway 1 at Hopuhopu.

Road policing national manager Superintendent Paula Rose said one death on the roads was still one too many, especially for the family involved.

But having only one fatality during the holiday period was "particularly heartening".

There had been high police visibility throughout the roading network over the holiday period, Ms Rose said.

"At the end of the day, it's about the driver behind the wheel and we've had some disturbing reports of driver behaviour," she said, citing the issue of vehicles crossing the centreline.

"But overall, we've had some good driving this holiday weekend."

- NZPA